SHANE HURNDELL
Under normal circumstances 4am text messages on a Sunday are the last thing one wants when on holiday.
But when you're Kelt Capital Magpies rugby coach Peter Russell and the message is from All Blacks manager Darren Shand informing you one of your players may be required for international duty
one doesn't mind.
``I got the message from Darren at 4am that Hika [Magpies hooker Hika Elliot] may be wanted and then I got another one at 10am to confirm that was the case,' a delighted Russell said last night.
``You know Hika ... he's not the easiest of blokes to get hold of. We knew he was just about to head off on holiday but we were fortunate to find he was staying with one of his mates ... now he's on a flight to London,' Russell said of Havelock North Rugby Club's first All Black.
Like all Hawke's Bay rugby fans Russell was disappointed Elliot, 22, missed selection in the 35-strong All Blacks end-of-year touring party when it was named eight days ago.
The 2008 Hurricane, who was named in next year's Chiefs last week, was the logical replacement for Andrew Hore who suffered an ankle injury after just four minutes of Saturday night's 19-14 Bledisloe Cup win against the Wallabies in Hong Kong and has returned home.
``You can't drop the lip,' Russell said. ``You must keep working. Hika carried on doing that and has been rewarded. ``Hopefully he'll get some game time on tour ... in the Munster game at least.'
A Hastings Boys' High School product, Elliot will join the All Black squad in London tonight. He is the eighth uncapped player to be selected for the six-match tour and Hawke's Bay's first All Black since fellow hooker Norm Hewitt began serving as Sean Fitzpatrick's deputy in 1993.
Elliot was called in briefly as cover for Hore before August's Tri-Nations Test in Auckland.
