Greatest All Blacks XV (pro era) - hooker

[Lizard]

Next up - hookers. And I'm going to tweak my shortlist rules to include the 5 most-capped, just to include the bloke I want to vote for.

[Digby]

Best hooker Fitzy, best in the pro era Mealamu.

[Lizard]

Fitzy earned 19 caps (18 starts) in the pro era, including the series win over SA. He made the players around him better.

Mealamu was very good, and incredibly consistent over a long period, but it's Fitzy for me.


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[Mr Mwenda]

Ya see, to me, Mealamu always seemed the sort of player who only looked good because of the teams he was in. I'm not sure he was on many other top nations' wishlists.

[Lizard]

You can tell that Fitzy was bloody good because South African fans just hated him.


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[zer0]

Yeah, this one is a bit of a one horse race. Openside and first-five will be the same.

[J Dory]

Hore, purely for his Welsh swatting ability.

[cashead]

West with Mealamu because of what he contributed to the All Blacks at the tail-end of his career. He helped develop Dane Coles into a test-standard hooker, was a big part of a comparatively positive All Blacks culture, and finished up after ensuring that the next generation coming along was good and ready. In short, he left the hooking stocks in better shape than what it was for much of his career. On that count, you could argue that Fitzpatrick indirectly contributed to one of the darkest periods in New Zealand rugby - although that charge, I think, can also be laid at the doorstep of Mains and Hart as well.

[Spy]

Easy choice here. Fitzpatrick was a great player and a great leader. A bit of a dick perhaps, especially from the perspective of other teams, but a good man to have on your team. Good scrummager, good lineout thrower, strong around the field.

[Len]

So hard not to vote for Coles here. Maybe in a couple of years time. Unrivalled skills as a front rower. A bit of a hot head though. Seen him pissed off a couple of times on the pitch and then proceed to try and get himself sent off. Fitzy because hes a grub.

[canta_brian]

You have to watch toll the end for the discussion on best ever but...