Preparing for his Wallabies debut, James Hanson is well advised to learn from family mistakes if he goes head-to-head with All Blacks milestone man Keven Mealamu at Suncorp Stadium.

Mealamu, to become the third New Zealander to a century of Tests on Saturday night, is as hard as they come – as former Wallabies hooker Brendan Cannon, a relation of Hanson’s, can testify.

Cannon’s wife is Hanson’s cousin.

As an experienced rake trying to dictate terms against his young rival in a 2004 Bledisloe clash, Cannon wound up and landed a haymaker on the All Black No.2’s head in a ruck.

Mealamu barely flinched.

“That was pretty funny,” said Hanson, who recalled watching with the family as a 15-year-old.

“It would be good if I get to shape up against him on the weekend but I won’t be doing that.”

That Wellington encounter – with the All Blacks winning 16-7 over a Nathan Sharpe-captained Wallabies – was Mealamu’s fourth start against Australia.

He’ll join Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina as the only All Blacks to notch 100 caps after replacing Andrew Hore in the starting role for the third Bledisloe clash.

Hanson, 24, hopes to make his debut from the bench – and become Australia’s 12th new cap in an injury-ravaged season – 16 months after being an unused reserve in the forgettable 2011 loss to Samoa in Sydney.

Built low to the ground like Mealamu, the Queensland Reds hooker has modelled his game on the 181cm Kiwi.

“He’s been an absolute stalwart for them and he’s been someone that I’ve looked up to, because of his stature,” said Hanson, who has replaced Saia Faingaa (hand).

“It definitely doesn’t work against him at all.

“He’s pretty amazing … he plays a lot bigger than what he is.”

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who travelled to Brisbane with his team despite the death of his father Des this week, paid tribute to the popular Mealamu – labelling him “one of the true gentlemen of New Zealand rugby”.

AAP jsm/gc/