Mealamu: 'It is nicer to give than to receive'

MAARTEN HOLL/The Dominion Post

UNHAPPY HOOKERS: All Black Keven Mealamu, left, aims a punch at Wallaby Brendan Cannon at Wellington's Westpac Stadium in July, 2004.

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Six years have passed since Keven Mealamu exchanged a flurry of punches with Brendan Cannon on a miserably cold and wet night in Wellington.

Although many fans would struggle to recall the score from that 16-7 win, the fight remains etched into their memories because it encapsulates the passion required to defend the Bledisloe Cup.

Wallabies hooker Cannon, incensed his All Blacks opposite was supposedly obstructing players near a ruck, curled his paw into a fist and, not unlike a blacksmith swinging his hammer at an anvil, flung it into the middle of Mealamu's face.

What happened next proved that while Mealamu is a quietly-spoken Christian off the field, he is no patsy on it. In the split-second after his face had absorbed the force of Cannon's blow, he leapt forward and replied with a barrage of punches.

By the time order had been restored Cannon and Mealamu were both sporting facial wounds, although the New Zealander's pain would have later been dulled in the knowledge his side had defended the trophy.

As he recalled the incident in the build-up to tonight's Bledisloe Cup opener at Etihad Stadium, Mealamu sheepishly admitted it is still not uncommon for strangers to bowl up to him to relay their memories of that scrap at the Cake Tin.

"Every now and then someone will come up, and it might even be someone just off the road, and say `hey I remember that game in 2004'.

"So it comes up every now and then. I remember going back and getting stitched up and he (Cannon) was asking how the family was and I said, `oh yeah, good'. I was on one table and he was getting stitched up on the other table."

Take Mealamu away from the rugby field and it is difficult to reconcile him with the angry fellow that turned on Cannon with such venom.

In interviews he speaks fondly of his family and the sacrifices his wife has made while looking after their two children when he is away touring, and how close he is to his parents and older brother Luke, who represented Western Samoa in rugby and now coaches their local club Otahuhu.

Transfer him on to the rugby field, though, and the 76-test veteran switches into a meaner mode and as he recalled Cannon incident he recited the Bible: "It is nicer to give than to receive."

He was introduced to rugby growing up in Tokoroa and persisted with the sport when his family moved to Auckland after the local timber mill closed down.

Enrolled at Aorere College, the 14-year-old was treated to some eye-popping sights when he was selected in the school's 1st 15: "I had never seen guys that size and I had only played under-14 in Tokoroa. I had never played against guys with beards and stuff."

Having started in the loose forwards in a pre-season match against Manurewa High, the young Mealamu quickly determined he wanted to play halfback for the rest of the season.

His talents did not go unrecognised by the national age-group selectors; he won his first New Zealand jersey with the under-16 side and has never looked back.

Now the 31-year-old is contemplating life after professional rugby. He has not discounted moving overseas to play following the World Cup and is preparing for the business world.

"Me and my wife are opening a Nandos store out at Takanini which is down the road from us. We have to look at life after rugby and stuff and we are really enjoying setting that up and getting it started."

- © Fairfax NZ News