Keven Mealamu is difficult to stop when he's close to the line. Photo / Paul Estcourt
Think back to the first World Cup final.
Remember the opening try, scored by the marvellous Michael Jones, against France?
More specifically, do you remember how he scored it? Not with a conventional touchdown, or even a straightforward dive across the line.
Down in Tokoroa, an 8-year-old was hugely taken by the way Jones got his try, which ended in a slide that had him facing back down the ground.
"I remember everyone in the lounge watching the game," Keven Mealamu said.
"We had the blankets out, and Michael Jones was my hero. Most guys dive forwards; he went backwards as he scored.
"I remember going out in the backyard with my brother and practising how he scored that. And we practised kicking goals like Grant Fox."
Happy memories, and now, 24 years on, it is Mealamu's chance to emulate Jones and co on the same piece of turf.
All he has to do, along with his teammates, is reach the cup final on October 23. Say it quickly and it seems pretty straightforward.
Mealamu will be going to the World Cup well a third time next month. His last two attempts have been well-documented disappointments.
In 2003, he played five games, including the semifinal loss to Australia; four years ago he made three appearances, but missed out in the quarter-final disaster against France.
Of the two, 2007 hit him harder, although 2003 was hardly a barrel of laughs either.
"I thought we'd finished too early. I couldn't believe it was over.
"You have to understand how much work goes into getting us up to a World Cup. People might think it's just a couple of months leading up; for us it's those years leading up to it. You put in all that hard work and have nothing to show for it. To go out in the first knockout round was so disappointing."
When he led the All Blacks out at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last month, it was his second test as skipper, after the Scottish match of November, 2008.
He'll go into the tournament with 86 tests behind him since his debut against Wales in Cardiff nine years ago.
Longevity has been one of his strengths.
In the course of his years in black, seven others have worn No 2 for varying lengths of time, some more successfully than others: Mark Hammett, Anton Oliver, Andrew Hore, Corey Flynn, Derren Witcombe, Aled de Malmanche and Hika Elliot.
His 11 tries are one behind the record for an All Black hooker in tests, held by Sean Fitzpatrick.
And Mealamu will finish the World Cup, fitness and selection whims permitting, adjacent to the indefatigable Fitzy's 92 test appearances.
Whereas Fitzpatrick had a knack of showing up out wide at try time, a sound bet would be that the vast bulk of Mealamu's tries would have been scored from two metres or less out from the line.
Labelling a player the hardest to stop that close to the line is a subjective argument.
But it's fair to suggest in any such debate Mealamu would be in the grand final, such is his ability to burrow his way across, thanks to his low-slung style.
In Mealamu's book, the hooker's lot has not changed much during his time.
It still comes back to core tasks: being accurate at the lineout, organising the scrums, being on hand at the restarts.
"I don't think the role has changed at all. If you do those really well you're able to set a platform," he said.
"If you can't, it makes our job a whole lot tougher because it denies us ball."
Give Mealamu a wish and he might plump for being 10 years younger and remain armed with the rugby wisdom he's accumulated since that debut.
He knows he's a superior performer now "because of the experiences I've been through".
"If I knew then what I know now I would definitely have been a better player.
"Youth is good, because you bring a lot of excitement and young legs.
"But just being able to look after my body well and learn the things I have over the years puts together a better package."
Mealamu is excited about this campaign in part because it's in familiar surroundings.
"You feel a bit more comfortable. Being in your own backyard you're able to find time to breathe and relax a little."
Important elements, you'd think, in attempting to emulate your heroes.
* Position: Hooker
* Tests: 85
* Born: March 20, 1979, in Tokoroa
* Stats: 1.81m, 106kg
* Teams: Auckland and Blues
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