Matt Utai

Boom Auckland centre/winger burst onto the first grade scene as a hard-running winger with the Bulldogs in 2002. Utai made his Test debut for the Kiwis against Australia in Wellington at the end of the year but injury saw him pull out of the NZ Tour of Great Britain and France. The following year Utai’s great form at club level saw him cross for 21 tries and play in every match and earned him a second Test jersey in July. NZ was soundly thrashed by Australia in that Test, 48-6, and Utai was among a number of high-profile players not selected for the return Test in October because national coach Daniel Anderson was unhappy with his players’ attitude. In 2004 Utai savoured a grand final victory with the Bulldogs – scoring tries in each half of the match – and returned to the Kiwi Test team for the 16-all draw with Australia in NZ. Injury, however, ruled him out of the Kiwis’ Tri Nations campaigns in successive years (2004-06).