MICHAEL HOOPER
The Wallabies haven't enjoyed much success against the All Blacks in the last decade. Since 2010 they have posted just five wins and two draws.
No one has featured in all of these Wallabies successes, but Michael Hooper gets closest having been involved in the two draws and the victories in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
And while it wasn't a great period for the Wallabies, Hooper does at least have the further satisfaction of knowing he was regularly the only Australian player the All Blacks found hard to subdue.
Hooper is a great ball runner and he's damaged the All Blacks with his ability to break tackles and take off. He's also hurt them with his work at the breakdown and he is a man they have come to respect.
FAF DE KLERK
Faf de Klerk has become the player the All Blacks can't wash out of their hair so to speak. His first big moment came in 2018 when he spent 80 minutes in Wellington getting under Aaron Smith's skin.
De Klerk hassled him, hounded him and disrupted him and prevented the All Blacks building their usual attacking flow. With the ball, de Klerk turned the All Blacks with his brilliant box kicks and split them with his distribution.
This story is from the Issue 205, June - July 2020 edition of NZ Rugby World.
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This story is from the Issue 205, June - July 2020 edition of NZ Rugby World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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