Messam set for Hamilton hurrah
If one person could lay claim to knowing the blades of grass at FMG Stadium Waikato better than the groundsmen themselves, then Liam Messam is your guy.
And tonight, the most-capped player in Chiefs history will grace that everimmaculate Hamilton turf for, in all likelihood, the last time, as he bids au revoir ahead of joining French club Toulon.
The final-round Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes presents as the Chiefs’ last at home in 2018 – unless they can swing a quarterfinal back at theirs by claiming a bonus-point win by 23 points or more; or with quarterfinal upsets seeing them host a semifinal or final.
Unlikely scenarios, so for Messam – the man born and schooled in Rotorua but rugby-raised in Waikato – it’s a night to soak up the sentimentals.
‘‘It’s going to be sad to run out on the park for the last time,’’ said the 34-year-old loose forward, who will come from the bench as the Chiefs rotate a few personnel ahead of the playoffs.
‘‘I’m sure when that moment does come, there will be a lot of emotion flowing through there. It’s been a massive part of my life, here at the Chiefs.’’
No less than 177 games, in fact, since debuting for them in 2006, after breaking onto the scene with Waikato and the New Zealand Sevens team.
‘‘Honestly, I didn’t think I’d get to this many,’’ Messam said, though adding there had been plenty of work behind the scenes to allow the longevity.
‘‘I was pretty anal when I was a young fella – I used to train real hard and sometimes the trainers would get a bit upset with how hard – and same with the way I eat and look after my body.
‘‘And making sure you get the mental part of your game right and time away from rugby right.
‘‘If you keep loving it and keep wanting to learn and grow, you can play this game for many a year.’’
‘‘Everyone’s been blown away by my age and how I’m going; to me it’s just a number, and I think with that bit more experience you have, there’s ways you can look after your body and get around the field a bit more cleverly.’’
After 16 years of toil on a ground which must feel like a second home to him, there are plenty of standout memories for the 43-test former All Black.
‘‘It’s always hard to beat a final, or semifinal, for Waikato. When we won it in 2006, it was a sold-out stadium, I was only a young fella then and I can still remember that day – there were legends in both sides, that’s back when all the All Blacks played in the NPC.’’
Then there was the 2009 semifinal win against the Hurricanes – where the fog rolled in late – to clinch the Chiefs’ maiden final appearance, before Messam had the honour of co-captaining when they claimed their first title in 2012, and again when they went back to back a year later.
‘‘They stick close to my heart, those ones,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s an awesome stadium when it’s packed out and it’s a massive atmosphere.’’
Among the crowd tonight will be ‘‘just the usual crew’’, for the ever-humble Messam, who’s careful not to overstate the occasion.
‘‘The olds will get their chips and hot dog and Powerade and be watching.
‘‘There’s bigger things in life than just a footy game. Myself and my family have learnt some tough lessons with rugby, I guess, so it’s just another game.’’
It certainly hasn’t been all roses, and it’s an absolute credit to Messam that he’s hung tough for so long.
Now, six weeks into French language lessons and ‘‘still can’t speak a word of it’’, it’s about lapping up the final times here.
‘‘The last couple of weeks, actually, I’ve just been taking every day, every moment, with the lads, and just making sure I’ve been enjoying it.’’