Greg Somerville

Through a 10-year career in top rugby Greg Somerville won an enviable reputation for his durability, honesty and sound scrummaging technique. So there was widespread satisfaction that when he came to end his New Zealand rugby involvement at the end of the 2008 season, to take up a contract in Japan, he had become All Black rugby’s most decorated prop.

Having been a regular member of All Black squads since his selection in 2000, Somerville finished with 66 test caps, edging him past the previous record-holder Craig Dowd, who gained 60. Despite being the record-holder Somerville may not have been the greatest of all All Black props.

As tight-head specialists Carl Hayman and Olo Brown, of those of recent vintage, may have been his superior and a loose-head he was probably bettered by another contemporary in Woodcock, for one. And other legendary props of by-gone eras, such as Johnny Simpson, Kevin Skinner and Ken Gray, played in the years when tests were not as plentiful as today. But where Somerville’s most precious qualities lay was in his versatility for he was equally adept at either side of the scrum.

Other than Richard Loe, it is difficult to recall too many props who have been able to make the switch with the same facility.

Known by his nick-name Yoda, because of his resemblance to one of the beloved cherubic characters from the Star Wars films, Somerville packed an ideal propping build onto a 1.86m, 115 kg frame. But for all his stockiness and fondness for the tight, Somerville was surprisingly mobile and always vigorous in the loose.

Though he became an essential member of Canterbury and Crusaders sides for the duration of his representative career, Somerville was a Hawke’s Bay product who from Napier Boys High School won his way into national under 19 and colts sides.

However, recognition seemed to be slow in coming in his home union and it was not until his move to Canterbury in 1998 that he began to thrive. His Canterbury A debut in the national provincial championship semifinal of that year against Waikato was dramatic with coach Robbie Deans suddenly dropping both his first choice props and replacing them with Somerville and his Canterbury B team-mate, Dave Hewett.

Canterbury lost that semi-final but for the next few seasons Somerville, with Hewett as the loose-head prop, were to be the basis on which the provincial side and the Crusaders had so much of their success.

Somerville was in the Crusaders sides which won the Super 12/14 titles in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008. He was also a member of Canterbury teams which won the national provincial championship in 2001, 2004 and 2008 and which lifted the Ranfurly Shield in 2000 and 2004.

Somerville’s progress in his debut Super 12 season in 1999 made his promotion to the All Blacks inevitable and after playing for New Zealand A in 1999 he joined the national side in 2000.

For the next three or four seasons, taking in the 2003 World Cup, Somerville was the usual test tighthead prop, even though Kees Meeuws was still available and Hayman had already emerged.

The elevation of Hayman in 2004, plus the presence of Meeuws and Woodcock’s development, made Somerville’s All Black tenure less assured. But he continued to be an invaluable squad member and it was only an injury during 2007 which interrupted his back-up role to Hayman and Woodcock. He also was a readymade replacement when injury ruled out Hayman for the last two tests against the Lions in 2005.

Because of his many absences with the All Blacks, Somerville managed only 56 games at provincial level for Canterbury, but he was comfortably in an elite group with a century of appearances for the Crusaders, finishing at the end of the 2008 season with 115.

He was 31 when he quit New Zealand rugby for English club, Gloucester, and with 250-odd first class games to his credit, any debts he owed the game here well and truly discharged.