The Ice Man - Part One
By Steve Hale Having played the curtain raiser for Auckland Colts on Saturday the 14th of September 1985, Michael Jones sat back alongside team mates Zinzan Brooke and Bernie McCahill in the Lancaster Park stands, interested onlookers as their provincial A team lifted the log off Canterbury in a titanic struggle later billed ‘The Match of the Century’. Within 24 hours the dynamic young loose forward had received a phone call from Auckland coach John Hart summoning him to join the senior team’s ranks. Three days later Michael Niko Jones made his first class debut, scoring a hat trick for Auckland against South Canterbury at Timaru. The Ice Man had arrived. While Jones was not a complete rugby unknown, he had already represented New Zealand at U18 level and captained a fearsome Henderson High School 1st XV including Timo Tagaloa his subsequent progression through the ranks to the top level of the game was nonetheless was nothing short of incredible. ...