NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / All Blacks

Dylan Cleaver: Eye-catching name fits his eye-catching game

Dylan Cleaver
By Dylan Cleaver
Sports Editor at Large·NZ Herald·
12 May, 2011 05:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Fritz Lee fends off Corey Flynn of the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images

Fritz Lee fends off Corey Flynn of the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images

Dylan Cleaver
Opinion by Dylan CleaverLearn more
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Some things read better in French. Such as, "Fritz Lee décapite Hamilton."

It's the title of a YouTube video, which, as advertised, shows Lee almost taking Northland replacement halfback Luke Hamilton's head off with a coathanger tackle.

The video and its English version has attracted more than a quarter of
a million viewers.

Lee, who was red-carded for the incident, is not one of them.

"The guys are always telling me to watch it, but I don't want to. It happened and I want to move on from that," Lee says.

He's done a decent job. That horror tackle - and in truth it was reflex rather than malicious - was about the only stain on an otherwise great campaign for Counties Manukau in last year's ITM Cup.

A dominating physical presence at that level, Lee also showed the ability to switch seamlessly between blindside flanker and No 8.

"I probably prefer No 8 but I don't mind. They're similar positions," he says of where his future may lie.

Lee agrees that comparisons between ITM Cup form and Super 15 are made moot by the huge jump in class. "It's so much more physical, it's so much faster. I've had to change parts of my game to adjust."

On the request of the Chiefs' coaching staff, Lee put 3kg on to his already imposing frame in the off-season.

"I've been told to be more physical around the contact area," Lee says.

He signed a two-year contract with the Chiefs, with some judges predicting he will be pushing for a spot in the All Blacks with another Super rugby campaign under his belt.

If he achieves that honour - and Lee gives the stock answer about not looking ahead more than one campaign at a time - he will be the first Fritz to wear the fabled black jersey.

His is an eye-catching name to match his eye-catching game.

For the record, Fritz is his grandfather's name, who hailed from Germany. He has yet to master the art of Teutonic efficiency, but that's to be expected.

Tomorrow night against the Stormers will be his 10th game for the Chiefs, probably about as much as coach Ian Foster would have wanted him to play this season in total.

But Colin Bourke's season-ending injury changed the thinking.

"We saw Fritz as an important cog in our wheel, but in saying that we envisaged him working in with Bourkey," Foster says.

"He's got a great attitude. It's his first year at this level in a key decision-making position, so there's going to be the odd error, but he's working hard to get into the professional game. It hasn't come all that easy for him."

Which seems a strange thing to say about a 22-year-old getting significant game time in a position where players generally mature a little later.

"He came into the NPC early and was playing a bit of sevens. He was going okay without looking settled," Foster explains.

"It wasn't until the 2010 ITM Cup campaign that he made his mark on the game."

Some mark, just ask Hamilton.

Discover more

Opinion

Dylan Cleaver: Shape of things to come among Super 15 contenders

17 Apr 05:30 PM
All Blacks

Rugby: Sivivatu returns for 'must win' clash

04 May 10:23 PM
Super Rugby

Super 15 insider: Expert picks, round 12 previews

05 May 07:53 PM
Super Rugby

Rugby: Latimer returns for Chiefs

11 May 10:27 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from All Blacks

All Blacks

Ex-All Black picked in Australia's Rugby Championship squad

Premium
OpinionLiam Napier

Liam Napier: Why Mo'unga's All Blacks return is more complex than it seems

Rugby

Richie Mo'unga rejoins NZ Rugby on 18-month contract


Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from All Blacks

Ex-All Black picked in Australia's Rugby Championship squad
All Blacks

Ex-All Black picked in Australia's Rugby Championship squad

After serving a three-year stand-down period, the prop is eligible for the Wallabies.

07 Aug 09:07 PM
Premium
Premium
Liam Napier: Why Mo'unga's All Blacks return is more complex than it seems
Liam Napier
OpinionLiam Napier

Liam Napier: Why Mo'unga's All Blacks return is more complex than it seems

07 Aug 02:00 AM
Richie Mo'unga rejoins NZ Rugby on 18-month contract
Rugby

Richie Mo'unga rejoins NZ Rugby on 18-month contract

07 Aug 02:00 AM


Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’
Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

04 Aug 11:37 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP