North Harbour and Blues workhorse Tony Woodcock has staked a strong claim to be he All Blacks’ long-term answer at loosehead prop and was one of the key players in dominant performances by the All Blacks pack over the past two seasons.

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North Harbour and Blues workhorse Tony Woodcock has staked a strong claim to be he All Blacks’ long-term answer at loosehead prop and was one of the key players in dominant performances by the All Blacks pack over the past two seasons.

While his reputation is built on strong scrummaging and hard graft, Woodcock is a mobile prop with good ball skills who can break out when presented with an open field.

He was one of six members of New Zealand's Junior World Cup winning Under-19 side from Wales in 1999 to make the All Blacks - alongside Jerry Collins, Aaron Mauger, Richie McCaw, Mils Muliaina and Bradley Mika.

With a wealth of representative age-group experience under his wing, Woodcock has already compiled nearly 150 first-class caps.

The workhorse forward became the first choice All Blacks prop, with many commentators around the world noting that Woodcock was arguably the best loosehead prop in world rugby. 

He continued his reputation for playing rugby at every opportunity, notably requesting to play for North Harbour in their victorious Ranfurly Shield match where they defeated Canterbury to claim the Shield for the first time.

In 2008 he became the first All Blacks prop in over a half century to score a double against the Wallabies.

Throughout this time the man affectionality known as Woody became a senior member of the All Blacks, and is expected to become the most capped prop in New Zealand test history based on his playing record and standing in not only the All Blacks, but the world's loosehead pecking order.

Career Comments:

• One of only four players to appear in 11 of the All Blacks’ 12 Test matches in 2005 and the only All Black to appear in 11 straight, missing only the season’s final Test against Scotland at Edinburgh.

• His absence with the All Blacks for the first two games of the 2004 Air New Zealand NPC prevented his playing every game for North Harbour between 2001–2004. He did not miss a minute in 2002 or 2003.

• First propped the Blues scrum at just 20 years of age, played for a remarkable three New Zealand Under 21 teams, and made his All Blacks debut shortly before his 22nd birthday.

New Zealand Representative Teams:

New Zealand Under 16 in 1997
New Zealand Under 19 in 1999, 2000
New Zealand Under 21 in 2000–2002
New Zealand Barbarians in 2003
All Blacks in 2002, 2004-2010

Test match Record by Year:
(+) = substitute  (-) = replaced

(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

2002
Nov 23 v Wales at Cardiff 43-17

2004
Jun 12 v England at Dunedin 36-3 (+)
Jun 19 v England at Auckland 36-12 (+)
Jun 26 v Argentina at Hamilton 41-7
Nov 20 v Wales at Cardiff 26-25 (-)
Nov 27 v France at Paris 45-6 (-)

2005
Jun 10 v Fiji at Albany 91-0(-)
Jun 25 v British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 21-3 (-)
Jul 2 v British & Irish Lions at Wellington 48-18 (-)
Jul 9 v British & Irish Lions at Auckland 38-19 (-)
Aug 7 v South Africa at Cape Town 16-22
Aug 13 v Australia at Sydney 30-13
Aug 27 v South Africa at Dunedin 31-27
Sep 3 v Australia at Auckland 34-24
Nov 5 v Wales at Cardiff 41-3 (+)
Nov 12 v Ireland at Dublin 45-7 (-)
Nov 19 v England at London 23-19

2006
24 Jun v Argentina at Buenos Aires 25-19 (-)
Jul 8 v Australia at Christchurch 32-12 (-)
Jul 29 v Australia at Brisbane 13-9 (-)
Aug 19 v Australia at Auckland 34-27
Aug 26 v South Africa at Pretoria 45-26 (+)
Sep 2 v South Africa at Rustenberg 20-21 (-)
Nov 6 v England at London 41-20 (-)
Nov 12 v France at Lyon 47-3 (-)
Nov 19 v France at Paris 23-11 (-)
Nov 26 v Wales at Cardiff 45-10 (+)

2007
2 Jun v France at Auckland 42-11
9 Jun v France at Wellington 61-10 (-)
23 June v South Africa at Durban 26-21
30 June v Australia at Melbourne 15-20 (-)
14 July v South Africa at Christchurch 33-6
21 July v Australia at Auckland 26-12
8 Sept v Italy (RWC) at Marseille 76-14 (-)
15 Sept v Portugal (RWC) at Lyon 108-13 (+)
23 Sep v Scotland (RWC) at Edinburgh 40-0
7 Sept v France (RWC) at Cardiff 18-20 (-)

2008
21 Jun v England at Christchurch 44-12 (+)
5 July v South Africa at Wellington 19-8
12 July v South Africa at Dunedin 28-30
26 July v Australia at Sydney 19-34
2 Aug v Australia at Auckland 39-10
17 Aug v South Africa at Capetown 19-0
3 Sept v Samoa at New Plymouth 101-14 (-)
13 Sept v Australia at Brisbane 28-24
1 Nov v Australia at Hong Kong 19-14
16 Nov v Ireland at Dublin 22-3 (-)
23 Nov v Wales at Cardiff 29-9
30 Nov v England at London 32-6

2009
13 June v France at Dunedin 22-27
20 June v France at Wellington 14-10
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
19 Sept v Australia at Wellington 33-6
31 Oct v Australia at Tokyo 32-19
22 Nov v England at London 19-6
29 Nov v France at Marseilles 39-12

2010
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
22 Aug v South Africa at Johannesburg 29-22