Bettor.Com, ‘Rugby’s Test Team of the Decade’ (Part 4)
Position: Tight Head Prop
Player: Carl Hayman
Country: New Zealand
Carl Hayman, who is also known as Zarg, was born in 1979 in Opunke. He plays at the position of tight head prop for All Blacks. He started playing rugby in school, when he was studying in King’s High School, Dunedin.
First, he was selected in his domestic team Otago in 1999, when he was only 20 years old. He played for New Castle Falcon in Super Rugby since 2010 and after he changed his club and moved to RC Toulonnais. He has also played 81 matches for Highlanders in
his Super Rugby career.
It was 2001, when he was selected in New Zealand’s national squad and he was 1000th All Blacks. He has played 46 test matches for New Zealand and scored 10 points.
He is considered as one of the most respected props in New Zealand rugby. There is one very interesting story about Hayman that he broke the drinking record set by David Boon in 1989 on a flight from Sydney to London. Sources say Hayman drank 60 cans of
beer on the flight from London to Christchurch after the All Blacks failed bid to win the 2007 Rugby World Cup, beating Boon's record by 8 cans.
Position: Loose Head Prop
Player: Tony Woodcock
Country: New Zealand
Tony Dale Woodcock is our player of the decade for the position of loose head prop. He started rugby when he was studying in Kaipara College. Woodcok, who is also famous with the nick name of Woody was born in Helenville in 1981.
He started his domestic career in 2000 for North Harbour and since then he only missed few matched for North Harbour due to duties for All Blacks. He played for All Blacks at all the levels. He was part for New Zealand’s U-19 squad, which won the world cup
in 1999. He plays for Blues in the super rugby. He played his first international test against Wales in 2002 just before his 22nd birthday. He has total played 69 matches for New Zealand and scored 35 points.
He has lots of achievements during his rugby career. He holds the record of playing most number of matches as prop for New Zealand. On 2nd August 2008, he also became the first All Blacks prop, who scored a test try against Australia in 20 years
time.
The Dominion Post described him as,
"widely regarded as the world's premier loose head."
The New Zealand Herald wrote about him,
"best range of skills of any prop on the planet."
Position: Hooker
Player: John Smit
Country: South Africa
John Willaim Smit, who is currently captaining South Africa, is our player of the decade for the position of hooker. He is one of the best hookers the world has seen during current decade.
32 years old Smit was born in Pietersburg and also played some matches as prop but this is the position of hooker, which became reason of his fame.
He first played for his national team back in 2000 in the match against Canada, when South Africa beat Canada 51-18. Between 2003 and 2007, Smit played 46 consecutive test matches for South Africa, which is a record. He is captaining South Africa since 2004,
his most remarkable achievement came in the year of 2007, when South Africa won the World Cup under his captaincy, and his leadership qualities were appreciate by everyone.
He has played 102 test matches for South Africa in his career for South Africa and scored 30 points.
This was the ‘Bettor.com, Rugby’s Test Team of the Decade’ and we hope our audience will agree with the selected players, as we have chosen some of the best players from the world of rugby for each position.
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