RUGBY: Taylor fresh from injury rest and ready to go

Lock Brad Taylor is hoping to put a fractured period of rugby frustration behind him when he leads out the Northland team for the first of three pre-season representative matches at the ITM Stadium in Whangarei on Saturday.
Taylor has been continually hampered with injury since the start of last season and comes into the team fresh from an eight week lay-off due to a shoulder injury.
But his ability as a lineout leaping lock remains a crucial piece of the Northland puzzle as evidenced by his promotion not just straight into the starting line-up but into the role as captain for Saturday's fixture.
While there is healthy competition for almost every other position this season, it seems as if Taylor has a mortgage on one of the locking berths this year.
Which is one of the reasons why Taylor is anticipating the official start of the Northland representative campaign with even more eagerness than usual.
"The positive side of the injury is that I am coming into the Northland season fresh and now I am just wanting to climb into it," Taylor said.
"This team has a very different feel to it, it is totally new and refreshing and is actually quite exciting to be part of," he said.
When you stop and think about it, the mere fact that Taylor is still able to get excited about a Northland rugby season is probably a feat worth noting.
He has, after all, played in almost every game in Northland's three year long losing streak in the now defunct Air New Zealand NPC.
This is a new chapter, though.
"I am taking the attitude that I have just got to get down and do well for Northland and hopefully be part of a successful Northland rugby team and then maybe, just maybe, something else can happen as well," he said.
While offers have been coming from elsewhere, Taylor said he has yet to be seriously tempted to leave and pick up a contract overseas, preferring instead to stay put in Northland.
"I have had a couple of offers but nothing that has been worth me leaving. I like it here too much," he said.
As for the challenge from Manawatu, a team that is heading north after a fragmented build-up that included the resignation of coach Charlie McAllister, Taylor is wary of what they might arrive with.
"When you look at our team it is full of young guys wanting to give it a crack.
"I am pretty sure they will be full of players in exactly the same boat so I think we will be in for a pretty solid workout," he said.
"We can't take anything for granted really, because we just don't know."
Taylor will be joined by Kira Taiahere at lock while John Cocker and Rukuwai Waata will form a largely experimental loose forward trio alongside number eight Jake Paringatai.
There will be close scrutiny of the backline too, with imported fullback Marshall Millroy starting and Daniel Bowden in the number 10 jersey.
Kick-off on Saturday is at 3.30pm.