Although the Waikato flanker's opportunities have been restricted by the emergence of the titanic Richie McCaw, Holah remains one of the most constructive open-sides in the business.

Holah's strength is his ability to wrench the ball free at the tackle which invariably results in a high number of turnovers in any game he features in.

The Waikato tearaway is also a sure tackler and has a great sense of anticipation, which came to the fore during the 2002 NPC where he provided the key link in a great number of long-range tries that were scored by his side on their way to the competition final.

Holah was the 999th player to represent New Zealand when he debuted against Samoa at Albany in 2001. He was also a finalist for New Zealand's Super 12 player of the year in 2001.