#17: Kees Meeuws | A Front Rowers Dream Episode With All Blacks Prop Kees Meeuws

Kees Meeuws is a former professional rugby player with a career spanning 20 years representing the All Blacks, Highlanders, Blues and three-seasons in France.

Meeuws was seen as one of the toughest props in the game and was a figure-head for New Zealand Rugby with his time at the All Blacks from 1998 - 2004.

His physical style of play and uncompromising ability to dominate his opposition in the scrum was the cornerstone of his game. A strong connection to Maori culture meant he had a significant impact on the team environment and the development of All Black Haka as we see it today. 

This Podcast is our first masterclass into the world of being a front-rower and what that means. Here are some of the highlights from our chat:

• The art of scrummaging against teammates and picking the brains of world-class coaches to become one of the best to ever do it
  
  
• How he approached his first training session with the All Blacks
  
  
• His post-career learning and his thoughts on the world of professional commentary and the challenges he faced with dealing with the general public

I played in the backs my entire career but on this episode, I absolutely loved going deep into the world of the front row with Kees.

The detail and how obsessed he became with being one of the best props in the world is something we can all learn from. If you know anyone playing or coaching scrums send them this episode because as a front-rower it's one you don't want to miss out on.