#AllBlackFriday celebrations conclude with a tribute to New Zealand’s all-time leading try scorer, Doug Howlett. He made his debut for the All Blacks against Tonga in 2000, and over the next seven years scored 49 tries in 62 Test matches. Howlett is also the all-time leading try scorer in Super Rugby, having crossed the whitewash 59 times in that prestigious competition. After the 2007 World Cup Howlett moved to Munster, where he continued to be prolific, scoring 35 tries in six very successful years with the Irish province. Howlett’s time at Munster included a Heineken Cup triumph in 2008, which earned him the rare distinction of having won a major domestic trophy in both hemispheres (he won Super Rugby, then called Super 12, with the Auckland Blues in 2003).
When Howlett retired at the end of the 2012-13 season, rugby lost a special talent. On the wing, Howlett was a pure finisher. In the first video below, one thing you will see again and again is Howlett in the right place at the right time, accelerating onto the ball, and touching down in the corner. Howlett elevated the fundamentals to an art form, and many current wingers would do well to study the timing and accuracy of his support play. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was blessed with sub-11 second 100 meter speed! Howlett was also more than capable of putting in the big hits. The second video below shows him taking down a much bigger man, Saracens and South Africa hooker Schalk Brits.
Happy #AllBlackFriday
Stateside Rugby 