South helped launch Crockett’s career

 Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett (right) charges into Sunwolves flanker Shunsuke Nunomaki during their Super Rugby match in Christchurch last night. The Crusaders  won 50-3, their seventh victory from as many games this season. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett (right) charges into Sunwolves flanker Shunsuke Nunomaki during their Super Rugby match in Christchurch last night. The Crusaders won 50-3, their seventh victory from as many games this season. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
A stint in the South helped Wyatt Crockett on the way to greater things.

The loosehead prop became Super Rugby’s most capped player when he made his 176th appearance for the Crusaders last night against the Sunwolves.

It took him past former Blues and Chiefs hooker Keven Mealamu’s mark of 175.

Perhaps the South can claim some part of that.

Crockett attended Otago Boys’ High School in 2001, his final year of school.

He had been at Nelson College and Crockett’s parents took the opportunity to have him join the Otago Boys’ hostel.

"This big hunk of a boy came down. He fitted in really well," former Otago Boys’ High School rugby master Neil Baker said.

"He got down here and fortunately his mum and dad were very pleased with the outcome.

"He went on to much greater things, obviously, when he went back to Christchurch.

"He was a good build, always had that promising build for a prop.

"And he was always very keen to learn and listen and take on wee tips you might have been able to pass on to him.

"He was an absolutely loyal team member. It was all for the team and that sort of thing. A hell of a nice boy.

"It was just a change of atmosphere and change of environment and everything like that, that just seemed to put him on right track."

The year was a good one for the school’s first XV, one of only five times it has won all six interschool games.

Crockett linked up with his family after leaving school.

They had sold their camping ground in Golden Bay and moved back to Christchurch.

He made his debut for Canterbury in 2005, then the Crusaders the next year.

In 2009, he first played for the All Blacks and was part of the 2015 World Cup winning side.

He holds the world record for most consecutive test wins, with 43.

On the eve of Crockett’s 176th Super Rugby game, Baker was thrilled to see where he had got to.

"That’s absolutely superb, isn’t it? The most capped player."

Despite all that, an All Black prediction was far from Baker’s mind when Crockett was attending  Otago Boys’.

"I never make that claim.

"So many people have said to me did you not see an All Black in Richie McCaw?

"And I say ‘no, I didn’t’. We probably had three or four other flankers that might have been better at schoolboy level.

"He obviously went on again in that Canterbury environment and went from strength to strength.

"No, I never managed to say to anyone that he would be an All Black, or that [Byron] Kelleher would be an All Black.

"You wish them well, that’s all you can do.

"So when you get out there it’s going to get harder. You’ve been well looked after here at school."

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