Corey Flynn. Photo / Getty Images
When Graham Henry mused at the All Blacks World Cup squad naming that "when I come back in the next world, I want to be a hooker", it was Corey Flynn, not the K-Road variety he had in mind.
With conventional wisdom dictating the team should carry three halfbacks and
three hookers, it's fair to say Flynn didn't face a great deal of competition for his spot. He had a solid 2011 season with the Crusaders, in which he was part of an all-powerful red-and-black scrum, notching up an impressive milestone of 100 Super rugby matches. The 30-year-old is noted for his barnstorming runs and has a nose for the tryline, with 14 Super rugby tries to his credit.
Flynn is one of three members of the squad that have the anomaly on their record of going to the 2003 and 2011 World Cups, but missing out in 2007 - the others being Ma'a Nonu and hardman Brad Thorn.
The selection of the Invercargill-born hooker in the 2003 squad was somewhat of a surprise, with Flynn, who was 22 at the time, getting the nod ahead of Anton Oliver, prompting one shocked former Australian rugby player to comment: "Who the hell is Corey Flynn? I haven't even heard of this guy."
Flynn made his international debut against Canada in the 2003 tournament but, eight years on, he has played just 14 tests, with his career stalled by injury. He has broken his arms five times (surely a record), while calf and ankle injuries have also kept him off the field for good chunks of the past few seasons.
