There are giants and then there are giants, and by any measure Irish rugby has lost a true giant following Fergus Slattery’s passing on Wednesday night.It wasn’t just his achievements as a rugby player, although they were truly immense. A product of Blackrock College through and through, having played for the school he then joined the club from UCD after winning his first Ireland cap in 1970 at the age of 20.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 truly 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 such players, as could be seen in the landmark British & Irish Lions tours of 1971 and 1974 to New Zealand and South Africa. In the latter, the tourists won the first three Tests and drew the fourth. Slattery played in all four and captained the Lions in two games against provincial opposition.Ireland’s Robbie McGrath supported by Fergus Slattery and Phil Orr during the Autumn International against Australia in November 1981 at Lansdowne Road. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho