New Zealand
Mealamu to equal Meads' number of first-class games
November 6, 2014
Keven Mealamu is a warrior who has endured through injuries © Getty Images
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Keven Mealamu will equal All Blacks legend Colin Meads' record for the most first-class games played by a New Zealander when he runs onto Twickenham to face England on Saturday. The match will be game No.361 in 16 top-flight seasons for Mealamu; Meads achieved the mark in 17 seasons before his storied career ended in 1971 at the age of 35.

Mealamu, also 35, is also set to claim a more dubious record if, as expected, he is named among the reserves and comes off the bench at Twickenham. That would be his 47th cap as a reserve, one more than former team-mate and scrum-half Piri Weepu, who set the world record last year. Mealamu played second-fiddle to Anton Oliver and Andrew Hore at various stages of his career, and he has played nine of the All Blacks' 11 Tests this season as back-up to Dane Coles.

Meads was last month replaced by current captain Richie McCaw as the most-capped All Blacks player. McCaw has made 135 appearances, two more than Meads with another former skipper, Sean Fitzpatrick, and Mealamu third and fourth on the list with 128 and 122 games respectively.

© AAP

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