Flanker Sam Cane is officially an All Blacks’ centurion becoming the 13th New Zealander to reach the milestone.
All Black #1113, Cane made his Test debut in New Zealand’s 22-19 victory over Ireland in Jun 2012, coming off the bench to replace Kieran Read.
Since then, he has become a constant feature in the squad winning the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and winning several Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup titles.
The flanker skippered the All Blacks for the first time during the 2015 World Cup, leading his country against Namibia.
He would also help New Zealand reach the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup and captained the side to the 2023 World Cup final where the All Blacks fell to an 11-12 defeat to South Africa.
Cane is set to hang up his Test boots at the end of 2024 and will do so, having captained his country on 27 occasions. The openside flanker earned his 77th start for the All Blacks in his 100th Test cap.
13 All Blacks’ 100 Test cap club
The All Blacks veteran joins the illustrious list of stars who have played 100 Test caps for New Zealand with legendary captain Richie McCaw becoming the first player to reach the milestone.
The great flanker made his All Blacks debut in 2001 against Ireland, earning the first of his 148 Tests. Ten years later, he became the first player to notch up 100 Tests for the All Blacks when he started the 2011 World Cup pool match against France.
Fullback Mils Muliaina followed McCaw in reaching the milestone when he earned his 100th and final Test cap for the All Blacks in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final victory over Argentina.
In 2012, hooker Keven Mealamu became the third player to reach the milestone doing so in the Bledisloe Cup Test match against Australia. The front rower would make a further 32 appearances for New Zealand, the last of which came in the 2015 World Cup Final where he won the tournament for the second time.
Quiz: Can you name the 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning All Blacks?
Prop Tony Woodcock became the second front rower to represent the All Blacks 100 times when he did so against Australia in 2013. Later that year, Dan Carter followed the prop to become the fifth player to notch up 100 caps for the All Blacks. Like McCaw and Mealamu, Carter would help his country win back-to-back World Cups playing his last game in the 2015 final.
Legendary centre Ma’a Nonu joined the illustrious club during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, earning his 100th Test cap against Tonga during the pool stages of the tournament. He played the quarter, semi and his last Test match in the final.
Since the 2015 World Cup, the likes of Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Beauden Barrett and Sam Whitelock have all gone on to make 100 appearances for the All Blacks.
Whitelock would even surpass McCaw’s tally of 148 Test caps becoming the first player to represent the All Blacks 150 times. He would add three more caps before hanging up his international boots after the 2023 Rugby World Cup final defeat to South Africa.
Sam Whitelock: Most capped All Black of all-time and his trophy ladened 17-year career
All Blacks’ centurion
153 – Sam Whitelock
148 – Richie McCaw
132 – Keven Mealamu
131* – Beauden Barrett
127 – Kieran Read
125 – Aaron Smith
118 – Tony Woodcock
112 – Dan Carter
109 – Brodie Retallick
108 – Owen Franks
103 – Ma’a Nonu
100 – Mils Muliaina
100* – Sam Cane
READ MORE: The seven legendary All Blacks who have won 100 Test matches
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