An established member of the All Blacks front row after first debuting against Tonga in 2000, Somerville is the rock on which future New Zealand scrums will be founded long into the future.

Nicknamed 'Yoda', Somerville is powerful and agile and has great mobility around the field.

A member of the New Zealand Under 19 side in 1996 and Under-21 in 1997 and 1998, he moved to Canterbury in 1998 and was named in the All Blacks a year later.

His All Blacks career continues to go from strength to strength: he played a leading role at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was again called up for Test duty in 2004.

He spent a year in South Africa on a Rotary Scholarship while at school, playing for his college First XV and Border Secondary Schools.