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Owen Franks

Owen Franks is a powerful front rower whose strength and defensive skills continue to improve each season – a worrying prospects for his opponents.

Owen Franks loves the physicality of the scrum, which makes him a dangerous opponent and has earned him a place as one of the best props in the modern era. His impressive strength and scrummaging technique reflects the tremendous effort he puts in at training, not only on the paddock but also in the gym.

He rarely misses a Test, which is testament to his consistency and reliability and makes him one of the most experienced members of the squad (he has missed just 12 matches in seven seasons). Franks played in all seven All Blacks matches at RWC 2011 and six at RWC 2015 and has started the second-highest number of All Blacks Tests at prop (69), behind recently-retired teammate Tony Woodcock (101). In 2016, Owen Franks became the second most capped All Blacks prop of all time and ended the season with 90 Test caps under his belt.

Franks previously pulled on the black jersey for the New Zealand Under 21s (in 2007) and at Secondary School level.

At 21 years and 186 days old, Franks was the third-youngest prop to be selected for the All Blacks, older only than Mark Irwin and Kent Lambert.

He made his debut for the Crusaders in 2009 and All Blacks debut just a few months later. His call up to the All Blacks capped a national representative career that included appearances for New Zealand Under 21 and New Zealand Schools.

He started against Ireland in the first Test of 2010, joining brother Ben in becoming the first set of siblings to start a Test for the All Blacks since the Brookes in 1997.

His call up to the 2011 All Blacks squad came off the back of a stunning Investec Super Rugby season with the Crusaders, where their scrum ruled against every team they played against. Franks then had a big last couple of years, playing a starring role for the Crusaders and then consolidating himself at tighthead prop for the All Blacks.
 
A self-confessed fan of the physical stuff, Owen's scrummaging ability is excellent but it is his work around the field which catches the eye – particularly his big hits on defence.

Player
Position:
Prop
Born:
23/12/1987
Physical:
1.95m, 122kg
Test Debut:
v Italy at Christchurch 2009
Test Points:
0
Caps:
95
Provincial Team:
Canterbury
Super Rugby Team:
Crusaders
Click here for videos featuring
Owen Franks

News 20.Apr.2018 See all news

Franks treats his return as the game of his life

All Blacks tighthead prop Owen Franks said his enforced time out of rugby had given him a chance to grow physically again and to reboot his body while assessing the first part of his career and get ready to start the second part.   More

News 07.Apr.2018 See all news

Crusaders set for fast start by Jaguares

All Blacks lock and Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock appreciates a confident Jaguares team will be looking to steal a march on the Crusaders in their Investec Super Rugby game in Buenos Aires on Sunday (NZT).   More

News 23.Nov.2017 See all news

'Maverick ability, mental strength' give All Blacks edge

Former England and British & Irish Lions second five-eighths Jeremy Guscott has warned England that while it has improved, the All Blacks are also improving ahead of their long-awaited game next November.   More

News 15.Sep.2017 See all news

Confidence, unity make Boks stronger - Read

All Blacks captain Kieran Read is expecting the 2017 Springboks to be different opponents than the 2016 version who were pummelled home and away by New Zealand when they meet in the Investec Rugby Championship Test in Albany on Saturday.   More

News 05.Sep.2017 See all news

All Blacks continue to manage change

Pressures of the modern rugby environment are expected to be reflected in future All Blacks Test selections as coaches attempt to manage the workload and wear and tear on players.   More

News 24.Aug.2017 See all news

Franks out of Dunedin Test

All Blacks tighthead prop Owen Franks is out of Saturday's second Bledisloe Cup Investec Super Rugby Test against Australia in Dunedin as a result of his on-going Achilles tendon injury.   More

News 18.Sep.2015 See all news

All Blacks media conference (in full) - Ben and Owen Franks

See the Ben and Owen Franks Media Conference at #RWC2015.   Watch

News 01.Sep.2015 See all news

Behind the scenes with Owen Franks

A frank interview with Owen Franks.   Watch

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News 18.Nov.2013 See all news

2013 Air New Zealand European Tour - All Blacks v England match reaction

2013 Air New Zealand European Tour - All Blacks v England match reaction : Hear from the players after their 30 - 22 win over England at Twickenham   Watch

News 25.Sep.2013 See all news

All Blacks hit the gym in Buenos Aires

All Blacks hit the gym in Buenos Aires : The All Blacks kicked off their physical training today with a gym session.   Watch

Test Match record

(+) subsitute(-) replaced

2009
27 June v Italy at Christchurch 27-6 (+)
18 July v Australia at Auckland 22-16 (+)
26 July v South Africa at Bloemfontain 19-28 (+)
2 Aug v South Africa at Durban 19-31 (-)
22 Aug v Australia at Sydney 19-18 (-)
12 Sept v South Africa at Hamilton 29-32 (-)
8 Nov v Wales at Cardiff 19-12 (+)
22 Nov v England at London 19-6 (-)
28 Nov v France at Marseilles 39-12 (+)

2010
12 June v Ireland at New Plymouth 66-28 (-)
19 June v Wales at Dunedin 42-9 (-)
26 Jun v Wales at Hamilton 29-10 (+)
10 July v South Africa at Auckland 32-12 (-)
17 July v South Africa at Wellington 31-17 (-)
31 July v Australia at Melbourne 49-28 (-)
7 Aug v Australia at Christchurch 20-10 (-)
11 Sept v Australia at Sydney 23-22 (-)
30 Oct v Australia at Hong Kong 24-26 (-)
07 Nov v England at London 26-16 (-)
14 Nov v Scotland at Edinburgh 49-3 (-)
21 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 38-18 (-)
28 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 37-25 (-) 


2011
6 Aug v Australia at Auckland 30-14
27 Aug v Australia at Brisbane 20-25 (-)
9 Sept v Tonga (RWC) at Auckland 41-10
16 Sept v Japan (RWC) at Hamilton 83-7 (-)
24 Sep v France (RWC) at Auckland 37-17 (-)
2 Oct v Canada (RWC) at Wellington 79-15 (-)
10 Oct v Argentina (RWC) at Auckland 33-10 (-)
16 Oct v Australia (RWC) at Auckland 20-6 (-)
23 Oct v France (RWC final) at Auckland 8-7

2012
9 June v Ireland at Auckland 42-10 (-)
16 June v Ireland at Christchurch 22-19 (-)
23 June v Ireland at Hamilton 60-0
18 Aug v Australia at Sydney 27-19
25 Aug v Australia at Auckland 22-0
8 Sep v Argentina at Wellington 21-5 (-)
15 Sep v South Africa at Dunedin 21-11 (-)
30 Sep v Argentina at La Plata 54-15 (-)
7 Oct v South Africa at Johannesburg 32-16 (-)
20 Oct v Australia at Brisbane 18-18 (+)
12 Nov v Scotland at Edinburgh 51-22 (-)
15 Nov v Wales at Cardiff 33-10 (-)
2 Dec v England at London 21-38 (-)

2013
8 June v France at Auckland 23-13 (-)
15 June v France at Christchurch 30-0 (-)
22 June v France at New Plymouth 24-9
17 August v Australia at Sydney 47-29 (-)
24 August v Australia at Wellington 27-16 (-)
14 Sept v South Africa at Auckland 29-15 (-)
28 Sep v Argentina at La Plata 33-15 (-)
10 Nov v France at Paris 26-19 (-)
17 Nov v England at London 30-22 (-)
25 Nov v Ireland at Dublin 24-22 (+)

2014
7 June v England at Auckland 20-15 (-)
14 June v England at Dunedin 28-27 (-)
21 Jun vs England at Hamilton 36-13 (-)
16 Aug v Australia at Sydney 12-12 (-)
23 Aug v Australia at Auckland 51-20 (-)
6 Sept v Argentina at Napier 28-9 (-)
13 Sept v South Africa at Wellington 14-10 (-)
28 Sept v Argentina at La Plata 34-13 (-)
5 Oct v South Africa at Johannesburg 25-27 (-)
18 Oct v Australia at Brisbane 29-28 (-)
1 Nov v USA at Chicago (+)
8 Nov v England at London 24-21 (-)
22 Nov v Wales at Cardiff 34-16 (-)

2015
8 July v Samoa at Apia 15-16 (-)
17 July v Argentina at Christchurch 39-18 (-)
25 July v South Africa at Johannesburg 27-20 (-)
8 August v Australia at Sydney 19-27 (-)
15 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 41-13 (-)
20 Sep vs Argentina at London 26-16 (-)
10 Oct vs Tonga at Newcastle upon Tyne 47-9 (-)
17 Oct vs France at Cardiff 62-13 (-)
24 Oct vs South Africa at London 20-18 (-)
31 Oct vs Australia at London 34-17 (-)

2016 
11 Jun v Wales at Auckland 39-21 (-)
18 June v Wales at Wellington 36-22 (-)
20 August v Australia at Sydney 42-8 (-)
27 August v Australia at Wellington 29-9 (-)
10 September v Argentina in Hamilton 57-22 (-)
17 September v South Africa in Christchurch 41-13 (-)
1 October v Argentina at Buenos Aires 36-17 (-)
9 October v South Africa at Durban 57-15 (-)
22 October v Australia at Auckland 37-10 (-)
5 November v Ireland at Chicago 29-40 (-)
20 November v Ireland at Dublin 21-9 (-)
27 November v France at Paris 24-19 (-)

2017
16 Jun v Samoa at Auckland 78-0 (-)
23 Jun v British & Irish Lions at Auckland 30-15 (-)
1 Jul v British & Irish Lions at Wellington 21-24 (-)
8 Jul v British & Irish Lions at Auckland 15-15 (-)
19 August v Australia at Sydney 54-34 (-)
 

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