Photo of the Day: Irish rugby legend Fergus Slattery has died at the age of 77. One of the greatest players to ever don the green jersey of Ireland Slattery, during his long playing career, was hailed as a world class player and a class act person.
Wrote Gerry Thornley in the Irish Times today: "A teak-tough, fearless, athletic, skilful and intelligent player who terrorised opposition outhalves, Slattery was arguably the greatest openside in the world for much of his playing career. He went on to play 61 times for Ireland over a 15-year period, which would be the equivalent of about 150 caps in today’s currency. He also captained Ireland 18 times.
"As proof of his leadership qualities, this included leading Ireland on their 1979 tour of Australia, when they won seven of eight matches, including both Tests. That was possibly Ireland’s greatest ever tour to the southern hemisphere in the entire amateur era, and he was also an integral part of the 1982 and 1985 championship and Triple Crown winning sides, the first of them in a generational backrow alongside John O’Driscoll and Wille Duggan. Slattery was quite simply a world-class player when Irish rugby was not noted for having many....." Photo shows Slattery leading out the Irish team for a match against Wales at Lansdowne Road in March, 1980. Inpho photo/Billy Stickland.
