Tighthead prop Greg Somerville is the next All Black joining the exodus trail heading to join the English club side Gloucester at the end of the year.
Somerville was hushed about his future but the Herald understands he will shift north to play out his career. The 30-year-oldprop has a young family and while he still enjoys rugby, he has grown tired of the extensive travel schedule in the Super 14 series and test programme with the All Blacks.
Somerville will play his 59th test tomorrow against England in an international career which began in 2000 and moved steadily until the middle of 2006 when he tore his achilles tendon in South Africa. He had lost out to Carl Hayman as the country's premier tighthead prop by then but was an invaluable deputy or perfect reserve to cover both sides of the scrum from the bench.
Somerville struggled to return from that injury after several setbacks. He beat the clock, just, to make last year's World Cup squad where he started matches against Portugal and Romania but had to give way to Hayman for the major matches.
With Hayman taking up a contract with Newcastle, Somerville once again became the country's premier tighthead prop when he started against England last weekend.
The NZRU has tried extremely hard to retain Somerville, offering him a stronger package, but the tighthead prop has apparently signed terms with Gloucester. There is some debate about whether he will make the end-of-year tour before being released.
"You'll have to wait and see," was Somerville's coy answer about his end of year plans.
He would not comment on a move to Gloucester. "I can't tell you, you'll have to wait and see," he cackled.
