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Regional | All Blacks

Ngāi Tahu All Black keen to secure loosehead prop position

All Blacks prop, Joe Moody (Ngāi Tahu) is intent on further cementing his position as the premier loosehead prop in world rugby. He'll get his chance to reaffirm his status tomorrow night at Eden Park. But his journey to the top wasn't as clear cut as he would have hoped.

Eight months ago, Joe Moody wasn't in the All Blacks picture. Today, the world premiere prop is eyeing his next opponent.

“We do that sort of stuff every week, do our homework on the opposition, practise what we're sort of expecting from them,” says Moody.

Tomorrow, Joe Moody will enter the cauldron of international test rugby. And at 27 years old, he's felt his fair share of ups and downs in his journey to the pinnacle of test rugby.

“After all, our training sessions and that be doing extra running stuff and extra conditioning to get to where I needed to be.”

All Blacks coach, Steve Hansen happy with his Māori prop, who has been in stellar form this year in Super Rugby.

“He's played well for the Crusaders, and again with Wyatt [Crockett] coming off the bench there you've got a good combo there so we're very fortunate.”

Moody heeded the All Blacks' SOS calls at the Rugby World Cup last year with the injury to Tony Woodcock.

Moody says, that there isn't a bigger platform to make your world debut, ‘I don’t think you get any big pressure situations than what you get in a World Cup, especially in the final stages, so in saying that yes.”

And it seems Coach Hansen agrees.

“He got an opportunity through injury, and turned up and had a massive part to play in our latter games in the competition and I think he cemented himself as the number one loosehead in that tournament.”

The All Blacks have not lost to Wales since 1953, and it is hoped that they continue their winning ways tomorrow night.