Daniel Braid

Daniel Braid had many things in his favour during a distinguished first class career over eight seasons with Auckland and the Blues, apart perhaps from his timing.

For unfortunately for his All Black aspirations he played at the same time as one of the greatest open-side flankers New Zealand has produced in Richie McCaw. And even his chances of being McCaw’s understudy were compromised, too, because also available for national selection at much the same time was another fine open-side specialist in Marty Holah.

Braid thus was limited to just four All Black appearances, spread over five years.

The son of 1983-84 lock Gary Braid, he was clearly destined for top honours, starring at an early age for Auckland’s King’s College first XV, where a team-mate was another son of an old All Black, Angus Macdonald, who also carried on the family tradition by winning his silver fern.

A national secondary schools player, Braid made his first class debut as did Macdonald for New Zealand Universities against the Australian Universities in 2000, aged 19. He was in the New Zealand colts sides in 2001 and towards the end of that season was blooded for the first of his 76 games for Auckland in the national championship.

He was a regular Auckland player through the 2002 season and his good performances won him a place on the end-of-year tour of Europe when McCaw was one of many top players who were rested by the then coaching staff of John Mitchell and Robbie Deans.

Braid was used in just one match, the international against Wales with Holah preferred for what were judged to the two tougher tests of the tour, against England and France.

Braid had not appeared for the Blues in the Super 12 at that point, but his first season in 2003 was to be an illustrious one, his role in the final when the Blues edged the Crusaders at Eden Park confirming his place in the World Cup squad in Australia.

But McCaw and Holah were also in that side so Braid’s playing time was again limited: the last 15 minutes of the pool game against Canada and the first 54 minutes of that against Tonga, in which he scored his sole test try.

Braid was not to be an All Black for another five years, when with McCaw injured, and Holah by now playing overseas, he was recalled for the tri-nations test against Australia in Sydney. It was not, however, a triumphant return. The All Blacks lost 34-19 and Braid was subbed in the second spell.

Though overlooked at the highest level, Braid continued to feature in national selections. His smattering of Maori blood, despite his fair hair and complexion, qualified for the New Zealand Maori side and he participated in both wins of 2005, against Fiji and the Lions, each time coming from the bench as a replacement for Holah.

He also appeared in the Junior All Blacks in the Pacific nations tournament in 2007