Wynne Gray: Competition makes test ton club harder

Gifted Irish midfield back Brian O'Driscoll enters an elite club this weekend when he plays his 100th test for Ireland. It will be a triumph for his endurance, tenacity and high-class skills when he leads his side out at Croke Park for their Six Nations test against Wales.

Remarkably, O'Driscoll is not the first Irishman to reach the milestone. Neither was it any of his celebrated forebears such as Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Tony O'Reilly or Keith Wood. The honour of being numero uno to the triple figures went to the shaven-headed, cauliflower-eared tighthead prop John Hayes, who switched from loose forward to the front row when he played several seasons in Invercargill in the mid 90s.

Remarkably, Hayes, 36, has not yet finished with the game and hopes to make his international farewell in next year's World Cup in New Zealand.

Eight countries have players who have reached the test ton, with the Wallabies contributing four, including halfback George Gregan at the top of the list, with 139 caps. Italian halfback Alessandro Troncon is another who has cracked the All Blacks-free elite list.

Some might consider that absence remarkable for the most successful rugby nation on the planet.

Sean Fitzpatrick seemed certain to reach the honour until his bung knee stopped him, as no opponent could, after 92 internationals.

Current fullback Mils Muliaina is 10 caps adrift of that mark, closely followed by captain Richie McCaw on 80 caps.

Both should crack three figures during next year's World Cup as long as their frames hang together in what has become an increasingly attritional sport.

The other fickle factor, and perhaps the main reason why the test ton list is still All Blacks-free, is the competition generated from their teammates.

When McCaw was picked as a bolter in the All Blacks in late 2001, he immediately ousted Marty Holah, Taine Randell and Scott Robertson from the openside role, while Muliaina, given his chance at fullback ahead of the injured Leon MacDonald, has rarely relinquished his hold.

Similar scenarios might play out over the next 18 months, though the challenges from Cory Jane and Israel Dagg at fullback are heavier than any claims from alternate openside flankers.

In this era of substitutions there is an extra chance for players to accrue test appearances, unlike Bevan Holmes, the loose forward from the 70s who played 31 games for the All Blacks without getting a single test cap.

A decade later, Marty Berry claimed a cap after 18 seconds as a sub in his solitary test appearance.