Tough as nails hooker Andrew Hore has stitched together 29 test appearances over seven long seasons. But he reckons he's only just starting to feel like an All Black as he buries his head into this absorbing Tri-Nations series.Hore has played all the major nations since breaking into the New Zealand team on the end of year tour in 2002.
But he has lived in the shadow of Anton Oliver and Keven Mealamu for so long that it's only now he feels like he is making his own mark in the treasured No 2 jersey.
The 29-year-old Taranaki and Hurricanes rake has started every test this season and it's getting this consistent game time that is making him finally feel like the real deal.
He was in the thick of the action in a torrid test against the Springboks in Wellington last weekend but he came away grinning and reckoned it was certainly one of his more satisfying performances.
"To knock off the world champs ... it's not a bad start to the Tri-Nations," he told RugbyHeaven.
We ask the hooker with a knack for try-scoring if he's in the best form of his career and the answer is as close to an affirmative as you'll get from a member of the front row club.
"Yeah, its going alright. I'm getting starts so I must be doing something right. I'm just happy where my rugby is at and things are going pretty well," said Hore who has been on the bench 19 times during his career.
"I have been chipping away in the All Blacks for a few years. Getting a few starts in a row with a full team around is pretty pleasing. I'm starting to feel like a real All Black. I'm really enjoying it."
It's been a tough time to be a tight forward recently. The Irish arrived with a pack built around the Munster forwards who had dominated the European club scene. The English came with their usual strut up front and of course the Boks give nothing away when it comes to exchanges in the dark areas of test rugby.
Some of the South African tactics have been questioned, even by All Blacks coach Graham Henry. But you don't find too many complaints from the guys who are doing the fronting up. Hore shrugs off the bumps and bruises and that's always easier when you're in teh winner's circle.
Surprisingly Hore said there was little difference between the physical intensity of the English and the Boks. The English, he added, were helped by the old rules in that area and there is little doubt that the All Blacks believe the ELVs are an asset to their fast-paced game they are keen to employ against South Africa.
"Yes, they (English and South African forwards) are very similar. They like to dominate, they are reasonably keen on smashing you around a bit.
"The English had more chance because you could pile into rucks whereas with these new rules you don't smash in there. But in saying that if the Boks hit you, you feel it. It's good contact sport."
Which is a polite way of saying that at this level, you give as good as you get. That was certainly the case last Saturday night in Wellington where there were frequent skirmishes up front in a forwards contest that had huge feeling to it.
Many critics and fans said the Cake Tin encounter had an old-school style to it when it came to the forward exchanges.
But, of course, for a hooker you measure your match on the set pieces as much as anything. Hore came away with a decent pass mark although there were some inconsistencies with both the scrums and the lineouts.
"We were happy with the scrums. We started alright and definitely came back towards the end too. We have a few things to work on but it was definitely a good start," he said.
"The lineouts were a bit the same ... we started alright but towards the end there were a couple of missed throws and a few communication problems. So we will look to sort that out in Dunedin too."
Hore admitted throwing into a lineout patrolled by monster South African locks Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha had its challenges.
"Looking at Bakkies, he's pretty intimidating most times. They have a good lineout but we have one too. We just have to back ourselves and go in with a bit of confidence that we can win our own ball."
Hore has kept Mealamu on the bench so far with the All Blacks preferring to use the mix of Hore's grunt and grind to start with before introducing Mealamu's impact qualities.
Forwards coach Steve Hansen admits it's a tough call and one where the All Blacks would lose little or nothing if they went the other way.
It will be interesting to see how they approach the rematch with the Springboks at Carisbrook.
There will be one certain change in the tight five with Anthony Boric expected to start for the suspended Brad Thorn.
But will they shuffle the front row? They will be monitoring the recovery of their men from the engine room in Wellington. But they will also be mindful that after this test they have a week off before taking on the Wallabies in Sydney.
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