Marty Holah

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Marty Holah
Personal information
Full name Martin Rowan Holah
Date of birth 10 September 1976 (1976-09-10) (age 31)
Place of birth Hamilton, New Zealand
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight 16 st 1 lb (102 kg)
Nickname(s) Marty
School(s) St. John's College, Hamilton
Club information
Position(s) Flanker
Current club Ospreys
Number 7
Youth clubs
Years Club
Ospreys
Senior clubs*
Years Club Apps (points)
2007 ‐
2001 ‐ 07
2007 ‐
Waikato provincial team
Chiefs
Ospreys
61 (40)
69 (10)
8 (0)
Representative teams
2001 ‐ 06 New Zealand 36 (15)

* Professional club appearances and points
counted for domestic first grade only.

Martin Rowan "Marty" Holah (born 10 September 1976 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who plays for Welsh regional side, the Ospreys, and the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Holah has currently been capped in 36 international test matches. He has also been a long-serving member of the Waikato provincial team, and the Chiefs Super 14 rugby franchise. Holah's contribution to the All Black starting XV has been blocked by the emergence of Richie McCaw, the current All Black captain.[1]

The Waikato flanker first made his debut for the All Blacks on 16 June 2001 against Samoa at Albany. He is known for his ability to steal the ball in the tackle. While he has been in and out of the All Black squad under the current coaching regime, he has continued to be a Waikato and Chiefs mainstay in his home town of Hamilton. Holah was instrumental in the NZ Māori's defeat of the British and Irish Lions during the 2005 tour at his home ground, Waikato Stadium.

In 2006, Holah was named in the unfamiliar position of blind-side flanker for the Ireland Test in Hamilton, his first start in the All Black jersey since 2004. The named loose forward trio of Holah, McCaw and So'oialo was clearly an experimental one, as all three are considered "flyers", known for their skill at the breakdown rather than explosive ball-carrying.[citation needed]

The sight of Marty Holah being pulled so early in the second half of that Test was certainly an ominous sign for his future in the All Black jersey. On 14 August 2007, it was announced that Holah had signed a two-year contract with the Magners League champions, the Ospreys.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Player profile: Marty Holah at allblacks.com
  2. ^ Giles Mole and agencies. "Ospreys sign Marty Holah", Telegraph, 2007-08-14. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. 

[edit] External links

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