Ralph targeting a record finish
Tue, 06 May 2008 15:46
He's the longest-serving player of the current Super Rugby crop, and just one behind its highest ever try-scorer, but there are potentially 136 (or 137) other reasons why Caleb Ralph could finish the third Super 14 out on his own.
The remarkable veteran, who started with the Chiefs while still a teenager in 1997, is calling time on his New Zealand career after the 13th Crusade, according to the official Crusaders website.
Ralph, who turns 31 in September, has signed for Japanese club Sanix, and departs with his partner Alexis at the end of the current campaign.
He is already the most capped New Zealand player in the history of the competition, having surpassed the previous record of 127, accumulated by the Highlanders' Anton Oliver, earlier in the campaign.
Yet there is still more that Ralph could achieve before his remarkable run - which at one stage included 103 consecutive Super Rugby appearances over eight years - finally ends.
At present, Ralph sits on 133 Super Rugby games.
That figure, which includes 124 Crusaders caps spread over 10 seasons - after previous games for the Chiefs and the Blues, has him in touching distance of a number of special appearance records.
Oliver's tally still stands as the most by any New Zealand player for one franchise, but Ralph could beat that mark should the 13th Crusade stretch for four more matches, and he features in all of them.
This is entirely possible given that the Crusaders have already qualified for a home semifinal.
Ralph is just two caps behind the injured former skipper Reuben Thorne, whose 126 appearances are the most by any player in the Crusaders jersey.
He is also just three behind George Gregan, whose 136 appearances for the Brumbies represent the most anyone has played in Super Rugby.
Of course, if Ralph can pick up two tries during the remainder of the Crusaders' campaign, he will also finish his Super Rugby career as the competition's premier try-scorer.
For now, he sits on 58 tries, one behind the all-time record of 59, which is held by Doug Howlett.
Ralph has been a title winner on five occasions with the Crusaders, after ironically playing against them in their maiden Final, while with the Blues in 1998.
He also attained 14 All Black caps, which included membership of the 2002 and 2003 Tri-Nations-winning New Zealand teams, and a place at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
