Billy Stead was an All Black captain and the vice-captain of the famous “Originals” on their 1905–06 tour. Stead also played provincially for Southland, and later coached various teams, including Southland and the New Zealand Māori. He is considered one of the greatest All Black first five-eights, and a master tactician. Him missing the teams’ Wales Test was considered a major factor in their only loss.1 A bootmaker by trade, he also co-authored The Complete Rugby Footballer with Dave Gallaher, a book that remains one of the most influential books produced in the realms of rugby literature.
