Rugby: Century up for former wunderkind

Chiefs flanker Tanerau Latimer will make his 100th Super Rugby appearance tonight. Photo / File

Te Puke's favourite rugby son, Tanerau Latimer will join an exclusive club when he runs out onto Waikato Stadium tonight for the Chiefs against the Stormers.

It will be the 100th Super Rugby match for the hugely respected openside flanker everyone calls 'Lats.'

But not all 100 games have been in his beloved Chiefs jersey.

Latimer began with the Crusaders, playing five games under Robbie Deans in 2006. If he stays injury free, Latimer should bring up that milestone for the Chiefs against (who better?) the Crusaders in Hamilton on April 19.

Latimer likes talking about himself as much he does getting injured, but he did admit this milestone is something to be proud of.

"The emotion won't kick in until after the game but what will be special is playing alongside a few boys who have been there for most of the 100 games, but in particular my mate Liam (Messam)," Latimer said. "I was there for his 100th Super game and that was special."

Latimer was selected in the NZ Sevens team while at Tauranga Boys' College by Gordon Tietjens and then had a season in Christchurch, which he says was the making of him.

"It was massively important for me and kind of shaped my career. Being a young fullah coming out of sevens and going into a Super environment was something completely foreign to me. I had never played against the likes of the South Africans or anything like that.

"It was all school stuff and a bit of sevens so it opened my eyes and was massive in the development in the big picture scheme of things."

Latimer has been through dire lows and incredible highs with the Chiefs - with the last two championship-winning campaigns the obvious highlights.

So what has changed?

The new coaching group of Dave Rennie, Wayne Smith, Tom Coventry and Andrew Strawbridge has made all the difference, Latimer says.

"All four of them combined have a huge array of skills and it has just shown in our play. We are a team that takes a bit of risk but along with that we get a bit of reward.

"The other things is moving our training base to Ruakura (from the stadium) has been massive for us. We have a world class facility at Ruakura."