GALLAGHER CHIEFS 
The WeTalkRugby Rating weighs international caps, age against the peak for the position, captaincy, club strength and the strength of the international side.
Across 5 tracked matches: 74 metres from 33 carries, 0 clean breaks, 2 offloads and a 90% tackle success rate (36 made).
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About Samisoni Taukei’aho
Samisoni Taukei’aho is the third name in a New Zealand hooking group that would be first choice in most other Test nations.
He is a powerful carrier and a strong scrummager — a hooker built for the tight exchanges rather than for the wide channels, which distinguishes him from both Codie Taylor and Asafo Aumua and gives the All Blacks three genuinely different options in one position.
His try-scoring record from close range is unusually good, largely through the driving maul, which is a specific skill and one New Zealand have not always prioritised.
He was born in Tonga and came through the Chiefs, where he has been a fixture.
His Test career has been shaped by the depth ahead of and alongside him, and by injury — a shoulder problem cost him a significant stretch.
He was born in 1997. Hookers commonly play deep into their thirties, which means the competition in this position is not going to ease for anyone.
