All Blacks: Codie Taylor opens up on ‘dream’ ahead of milestone match
Codie Taylor will become the All Blacks' 14 Test centurion when they face Argentina on Saturday.
Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash between Argentina and New Zealand in Buenos Aires will be a special occasion for All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor as he makes his 100th Test appearance for his country.
His career has come full circle as he made his debut against Los Pumas in a Rugby Championship encounter in Christchurch in 2015.
On that occasion, he came off the bench as a replacement for Keven Mealamu in the 60th minute and celebrated a 39-18 All Blacks triumph by crossing for one of their five tries in that game’s latter stages.
‘Blessed and very grateful’
“It’s been a journey, I’m blessed and very grateful,” said Taylor.
He revealed that he was fully aware that he could reach his special milestone ahead of the All Blacks’ 2025 international campaign.
“It was always a dream as a kid to wear the jersey,” added Taylor.
“To fulfil that with one Test, let alone what’s about to happen this weekend, I never would have thought of that.”
By making his 100th appearance for New Zealand, Taylor will join an elite club of All Blacks Test centurions of which he is the 14th member and only the second hooker – after Mealamu – to achieve the feat.
A banner of the other centurions hangs in the All Blacks team room.
‘It’s a huge honour’
“I’ve played with most of them but also look up to all of them, they’re all of legend status and to join them on that banner has been a journey, not always straight forward, but it’s a huge honour,” revealed the 34-year-old.
After making his All Blacks debut during that Rugby Championship clash with Argentina 10 years ago, Taylor notched another highlight in his career when he was part of the All Blacks squad which won the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
“That team was one of the, if not the, greatest All Blacks team that ever was with the amount of legends,” he said.
“They showed what it meant to be [an All Black] and hopefully we’re still living those standards.”
Taylor will celebrate his momentous achievement by leading the All Blacks haka against Los Pumas at Estado Velez Sarsfield on Saturday and his wife has has flown into Buenos Aires to join in the celebrations.
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