Arrowtown prop Ryan Griffiths, who brought up his 50th blazer game in a home game against derby rival Wakatipu last Saturday, fits into what is surely elite company.
The 28-year-old, who has played on and off for the Bulls since 2017, was always in the backs and started last season on the wing.
"I had a big summer, obviously, and we were pretty short last year on front-rowers — they asked me and, yeah, I was happy to give it a crack, but loving it there now."
He accepts it is not a normal transition — "there’s a massive difference, it probably doesn’t get any more different than that".
Prop is "quite a daunting place to be", but Griffiths says he is learning from the wisdom of his fellow front-rowers.
Unfortunately, his 50th came in a one-sided 28-7 loss to Wakatipu after Arrowtown scored a try early doors.
"Their ‘D’ [defence] was outstanding, I thought, and I think in the second half our ‘D’ was quite good as well."
Arrowtown, having been docked five points for fielding unregistered players in their big win over Alexandra in late April, are now in fifth place in the Central Otago comp.
"But yeah, we’re going to have to improve quite heavily in the rest of the season."
This Saturday they travel to Ranfurly to play sixth-placed Maniototo, whom they thrashed at home 47-5 in mid-April — their first win in 10 months.
"It’ll definitely be tough to go up there, but we had a good win against them early in the year.
"I think a lot of the younger boys probably will think it’ll be exactly the same walk in the park, but it definitely won’t be, so I hope they’re all going to realise it’s a two-hour bus trip and then, yeah, it doesn’t get any easier when you arrive."
Third-placed Wakatipu, meanwhile, also have a tough away battle this weekend against top-of-the-table Cromwell who beat them on home turf in the first round.
In other rugby, the Wakatipu Wanderers lost 19-15 to Southland’s Waiau Star at home last weekend.
This Saturday, Arrowtown v Maniototo, ‘Offal Pit’, Ranfurly, 2.30pm; Wakatipu Premiers v Cromwell, Anderson Park, Cromwell
