Stephen Charles "Steve" Finnane (born 3 July 1952) was a

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who represented Australia. Finnane, a

prop A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

, was born in Sydney and claimed a total of six international rugby caps for Australia. He was dubbed the ''phantom puncher'', for a short right uppercut delivered to Welsh player

Graham Price Graham Price MBE (born 24 November 1951 in Moascar, Egypt) is a former Welsh rugby union player, who was a member of the famous Pontypool RFC front row known as the "Viet Gwent". He won 41 caps for , and a record 12 for the British and Irish ...

in a scrum during the second Test match between the Wallabies and Wales at the SCG on 17 June 1978. The Welshman suffered a shattered jaw. The Wallaby later wrote in a book that he hit Price. The Wales match proved to be Finnane's last for Australia: although he was selected for the 1979 tour of New Zealand, he declined, choosing to focus on his professional career as a barrister. Finnane was admitted as a

Barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

in the

Supreme court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

on 6 June 1975. He is the brother of District Court judge Michael Finnane KC

References

SMH 22 August 2010 Australian rugby union players Australia international rugby union players 1952 births Living people Rugby union players from Sydney Rugby union props Eastern Suburbs RUFC players New South Wales rugby union team players 20th-century Australian sportsmen {{Australia-rugbyunion-bio-1950s-stub