Hayden Taylor will clock up a century of games for Northland against Waikato at Whangarei today, the youngest Northland player to achieve the milestone.
The talented fullback has learnt to take things in his stride since arriving on the scene as a confident teenager seven years ago.
"I can remember it was
against Manawatu, and being pretty keen to get out there," the 26-year-old Taylor said of his debut in 1994.
Two other members of that team still playing for Northland are loose forwards Brett Waaka and Graham Hilton-Jones.
"I haven't seriously thought about the 100 matches," Taylor said, "but I suppose when you stop and think about it, it's a fair few games. I suppose it was always in the back of the mind this year anyway, not that I spend much time talking about it.
"It's got better as it has gone on and I hope there are many more in the blue jersey for Northland, but it is out of my hands."
With offers coming in from Italy and France, the chances are Taylor might take the opportunity to reap some rewards for his efforts with a cash-friendly contract overseas next season.
He is not saying much in the meantime though. He has eyes only for Waikato, a team many Northland fans will remember handed the northeners a hiding in a Ranfurly Shield encounter in Hamilton last year.
"I have better memories of the last time we played them up here, because we beat them," Taylor said.
The trouble is Waikato will play today with a side stacked with backline talent, armed with one of the most lethal back-three combinations in the country in Todd Miller, Roger Randle and Bruce Reihana.
So the challenge lies in the battle of the forwards, where Northland will look to the experience of captain Glenn Taylor and his locking partner Vula Maimuri.
Hayden Taylor said: "In the ideal world, we will win in my 100th game and I will score a couple of tries."
- NZPA
2001 NPC schedules/scoreboard
NPC Division One squads
