David Leggat: Cap that! Woodcock joins elite

Tony Woodcock will overtake Greg Somerville in Christchurch tomorrow. Photo / Richard Robinson

Joe Rokocoko did it last weekend in Melbourne; Tony Woodcock will emulate him in Christchurch tomorrow night.

When Rokocoko played his 64th test against the Wallabies, he overtook John Kirwan and Jonah Lomu as the All Blacks' most capped wing. And he bagged a try in the 49-28 romp to mark the occasion in style, too.

Woodcock sits level with the four-square former Crusaders rock, Greg Somerville on 66 tests. Somerville earned his caps propping on both sides of the scrum, but Woodcock is a loosehead specialist, and racks up his 67th against Australia tomorrow.

Woodcock will take to four the number of current All Blacks who have played most tests in their positions.

Aside from "Jolting Joe" and Woodcock, there is fullback Mils Muliaina, who has won 73 caps at fullback - to sit alongside 13 others at centre and wing - and captain Richie McCaw, who tomorrow also plays his 87th test.

Only the grandaddy of All Blacks cap winners sit above Muliaina and McCaw, Sean Fitzpatrick, who amassed 92 over an 11-year career.

That of course is in large part down to the number of tests the All Blacks play in the modern era compared with decades past.

Tomorrow will be the All Blacks' 465th test since beating Australia 22-3 at Sydney in 1903.

By comparison, France have played 659, England 629 and Australia 511.

Therefore the chances of All Blacks being the most capped worldwide are correspondingly limited.

George Gregan's 139 caps for Australia, prop Jason Leonard's 119 for England, French lock Fabien Pelous' 118? All beyond All Black reaches - but things are changing, with Muliaina and McCaw in the vanguard.

McCaw, for example, must be eyeing Wallaby George Smith's 110 as the top flanker.

But the way of rugby now - all internationals, naff all touring games - is a clue to the list of leading appearances for the All Blacks.

Colin Meads still heads that chart with his staggering 133 games.

The durable Fitzpatrick, whose early years were in the days of 'proper' tours, reached 128 and there are seven others who amassed three figures.

Muliaina (88), McCaw (87) and hooker Keven Mealamu (78) are next among the current players.

For six years the All Black test tryscoring record sat with the legendary flanker Ian Kirkpatrick, at a then-whopping 16, from his 39 tests up to his retirement in 1977.

Then one day at Eden Park in 1983, Stu Wilson scooted over the line against the Lions for his 17th. He added two more the same afternoon for good measure and since then it's been a backs-only domain.

From then on the gates have been stampeded to the extent that 12 players have sailed past Wilson's mark.

All of them are backs, with McCaw's 18, including one penalty try, putting him top of the forwards chart.

Rokocoko could well be the all time leading tryscorer by the end of this year.

He needs four more to overtake the current No1, Doug Howlett, another of those fleet-footed fliers, who nabbed 49 in 62 tests.

BIG SCORERS

Most test tries
* 49: Doug Howlett (62 matches)
* 46: Christian Cullen (58)
* 46: Joe Rokocoko (64)
* 44: Jeff Wilson (60)
* 37: Jonah Lomu (63)
* 37: Tana Umaga (74, includes one penalty try)
* 35: John Kirwan (63)
* 28: Dan Carter (72)
* 28: Mils Muliaina (86)
* 27: Sitiveni Sivivatu (43)
* 24: Justin Marshall (81)

Most test tries by a forward
* 18: Richie McCaw (86, includes one penalty try)
* 17: Zinzan Brooke (58)
* 16: Ian Kirkpatrick (39)
* 14: Josh Kronfeld (54)
* 13: Michael Jones (55)

Most capped All Blacks by position
* Fullback: Mils Muliaina 73
* Wing: Joe Rokocoko 64
* Centre: Frank Bunce 54
* Second five-eighths: Walter Little 45
* First five-eighths: Andrew Mehrtens 70
* Halfback: Justin Marshall 80
* No 8: Zinzan Brooke 52
* Flanker: Richie McCaw 85
* Lock: Ian Jones 79
* Prop: Greg Somerville and Tony Woodcock 66
* Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick 92