McCaw at the heart of dream team
Since rugby turned professional in 1995, its landscape has shifted forever with money reshaping the national game. King Country prop Phil Coffin was the last All Black selected from the Heartland unions in 1996, playing three matches on a tour to South Africa. Stuff has compiled New Zealand’s best Heartland XV of the professional era – considering players born or educated in Heartland Championship provinces.
15. Christian Cullen (Horowhenua-Ka¯ piti) – born, Paraparaumu; last school, Ka¯ piti College. All Blacks tests: 58 (1996-2002).
Cullen’s devastating step and an ability to change direction while maintaining his naturally tremendous pace cut international defences to pieces during his six-year stint with the All Blacks.
The Paekakariki Express was a master of running angles from fullback, and he played for Horowhenua-Ka¯ piti in 1994 before representing the Hurricanes in Super Rugby from 1996-2003, while appearing for Manawatu¯ , the defunct Central Vikings and Wellington in the national provincial championship.
14. Hosea Gear (Poverty Bay) – born: Gisborne; last school, Gisborne Boys’ High. All Blacks tests: 14 (2008-12).
The younger of Gisborne’s Gear brothers, 34-year-old Hosea was still listed as an active player with French second division club Narbonne this year, but the former All Blacks winger has dropped down another level after joining Ceret Sportif as an assistant coach.
Gear, who was called up to New Zealand’s 2011 World Cupwinning squad as injury cover, played for Poverty Bay in 2002 before stints in France and Japan after appearing for the Hurricanes (2004-11) and Highlanders (2012-13). He returned for a brief spell with the Chiefs in 2015 before heading back to France.
13. Rico Gear (Poverty Bay) – born, Gisborne; last school, Gisborne Boys’ High. All Blacks tests: 19 (2004-07). Rico, now 40, first appeared for Poverty Bay in 1997 and he later returned to finish his welltravelled career with his home province from 2014-16.
Gear’s career highlight was playing in all three tests of the 2005 Lions series when the All Blacks won 3-0. He played for six provinces (Bay of Plenty, North Harbour, Crusaders, Nelson Bays, Tasman and Canterbury) as well as Poverty Bay, while appearing for the Blues, Highlanders and Crusaders before stints in Japan and England.
12. Charlie Ngatai (Poverty Bay) – born, Gisborne; last school, Gisborne Boys’ High. All Blacks tests: 1 (2015). Ngatai’s provincial debut was with Poverty Bay in 2008 before he shifted to Wellington and the Hurricanes from 2009.
The multi-talented midfielder joined the Chiefs in 2013 and his All Blacks debut came against Samoa in 2015 but concussion concerns from a mysterious blow suffered in 2016 sidelined him for 11 months and subsequently damaged his international aspirations, so he opted to join French club Lyon this year.
11. Zac Guildford (Wairarapa Bush) – born, Masterton; last school, Napier Boys’ High. All Blacks tests: 10 (2009-12). Guildford returned to his roots in Wairarapa in 2016 to rebuild his shattered career after quitting the Waratahs for ‘‘wellbeing reasons’’.
The former All Blacks wing, whose elite career was littered with off-field issues, once played for the Hurricanes and Crusaders but a stint in Heartland rugby with Wairarapa Bush led to a personal revival as he joined Waikato before signing professional terms with French second division club Nevers this year.
10. Carlos Spencer (Horowhenua-Ka¯ piti) – born, Levin; last school, Waiopehu College. All Blacks tests: 35 (1997-2004).
Spencer played for HorowhenuaKa¯ piti from 1992-93 before the mercurial playmaker shifted to Auckland and the Blues and his All Blacks debut followed in 1997.
The Levin No 10, who steered the Blues to Super Rugby titles in 1996, 1997 and 2003, left for England in 2004 before a stint with the Lions in South Africa from 2010-11. He joined the Hurricanes as an assistant coach this year.
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Poverty Bay) – born, Auckland; last school, Gisborne Boys’ High. New Zealand Ma¯ ori matches: 8 (2012-15).
Gibson-Park was a Super Rugby champion with the Hurricanes in 2016 before joining Irish giants Leinster.
The former Blues halfback, who played eight matches for New Zealand Ma¯ ori from 2012-15, made Taranaki’s squad in 2012 after finishing his education at Gisborne Boys’ High and the 26-year-old remains with Leinster, the reigning European club champions.
8. Ron Cribb (Wanganui) – born, Wanganui; last school, Massey High. All Blacks tests: 15 (2000-01).
The former Crusaders and Blues No 8 was born in Wanganui before finishing his education in
West Auckland. Cribb played 15 tests before falling out of favour in 2001 because of injuries and form and moved to Japan for the rest of his career from 2003-09.
7. Richie McCaw (c) (North Otago) – born, Oamaru; last school, Otago Boys’ High. All Blacks tests: 148 (2001-15). Arguably the greatest All Black of all time, McCaw was brought up in North Otago’s Hakataramea Valley before he went to Otago Boys’ High, then Lincoln University near Christchurch.
The legendary openside flanker, who finished as rugby’s most-capped test player, captained the All Blacks to successive World Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2015 and was also hugely successful with the Crusaders and Canterbury.
6. Jackson Hemopo (Wanganui) – born, Wanganui; last school, Palmerston North Boys’ High. All Blacks tests: 3 (2018). Adept at flanker and lock, Hemopo has shown great promise since first appearing in Super Rugby with the Highlanders in 2015 and the 25-year-old played the first of his three tests against France earlier this year. Hemopo was born in Wanganui before finishing his education at Palmerston North Boys’ and he has represented Manawatu¯ since 2016 after playing for Otago from 2012-15.
5. Keith Robinson (Thames Valley) – born, Te Aroha; last school, Te Aroha College. All Blacks tests: 12 (2002-07). Robinson appeared infrequently for the All Blacks before injury troubles ended his career prematurely in 2007 when the former Chiefs lock was 30.
As well as representing Taranaki (2000-01) and Waikato (2002-07), Robinson played for his home province from 1998-99 after emerging from Te Aroha College. His Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs followed in 2001.
4. Dion Waller (King Country) – born, Turangi; last school, Tauhara College. All Blacks tests: 1 (2001).
Waller’s first provincial years were with King Country from 1995-96 before a two-year spell with the now-defunct Central Vikings.
Having played for the Hurricanes from 1996-2002, the Turangi lock joined Wellington in 1999 and, in a career that concluded with spells in Japan and Italy, his one test was against Argentina in 2001.
3. Atu Moli (Poverty Bay) – born, Gisborne; last school, Marlborough Boys’ College. All Blacks matches: 1 (2017). Moli was born in Gisborne and then attended Marlborough Boys’ College in Blenheim while representing Marlborough and Tasman in the junior grades.
The 23-year-old, who captained New Zealand’s world champion under-20s in 2015, later shifted to Waikato and his Chiefs debut followed in 2016 before he played once for the All Blacks last year in a midweek match against a French XV. His career has since stalled because of a freakish leg injury in March.
2. Dane Coles (HorowhenuaKa¯ piti) – born, Paraparaumu; last school, Wellington College. All Blacks tests 60 (2012-18).
Coles was widely considered the world’s best hooker around the time the All Blacks won the World Cup in 2015 but injuries in recent years have significantly limited his playing time.
The 32-year-old, who captained the Hurricanes to their maiden Super Rugby title in 2016, was hoping to return from a knee injury this year for Horowhenua-Ka¯ piti in the Heartland Championship but it never materialised, so he was back in black for Wellington and then the All Blacks on their recent northern tour.
1. Carl Hoeft (Thames Valley) – born, Auckland; last school, Te Aroha College. All Blacks tests: 30 (1998-2003).
Hoeft was part of Thames Valley’s squad that won the old third division in 1995 after making his debut for the province the previous year. The former Highlanders prop played at World Cups in 1999 and 2003 and now coaches at Japanese club Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars.