Rugby: Shield should fend off the blues

Counties Manukau rugby player Grant Henson in action. Photo / Dean Purcell

The last time Counties Manukau hooker Grant Henson went to play Southland in Invercargill, he came back with pneumonia and a pleural effusion. This time he'd prefer just to bring back the Shield.

"I ended up in hospital on the Monday. I was in intensive care and ended up losing 12kg in 12 days," Henson recalled.

"The following year I was ruled out of all rugby through sickness so I haven't got fond memories of the place, I guess. Hopefully I'll have better ones this time."

If 2008 was lost to convalescence, his rugby last year became a victim of the economic downturn that threatened to leave him stranded on 80 games for the only province he's ever played for.

While he still had an eye for the tryline, his bosses at New Zealand Steel, Glenbrook, were looking only at the bottom line.

"With the recession last year they wouldn't give me the time off. This year was the same so I tossed up ..." and the coin came down on the side of rugby.

"It's something I really wanted to do," said the 34-year-old. "I'm getting a bit older so thought bugger it, I might as well get on and do it while I'm still young enough."

There were a couple of carrots. He'd read the reports that Tana Umaga was on his way and coach Milton Haig was making a play.

"I've been trying to get him for a couple of years but he's been unavailable because of his work commitments," Haig said. "We're so stoked about it because he brings experience, he brings the sort of leadership you get through 82 games.

"He's a no-nonsense guy. He's pretty demanding of the younger guys around him come scrum and lineout because he knows how important they are to his own performance."

Henson is enjoying the view from the top of the ITM Cup ladder. His first year in the side, 1998, gave him the chance to play alongside Jonah Lomu, Joeli Vidiri, Errol Brain and Jim Coe, but for most of his career it's been a struggle.

"I went and checked out [their setup], which is a bit different from the last time I played, talked to Milton and it was quite exciting for me."

Henson has repeated the Counties mantra of this week being just another game, just another chance to stay top-of-the-table, but walking around the streets of Waiuku, where he's lived since he was 9, the townsfolk have no problem reminding him there's a log of wood on the line.

In that respect, Counties might have an advantage over the holders. While the visitors will have no trouble firing up, Southland had an epic derby to contend with last week, something acknowledged by co-coach Dave Henderson.

"That game had been boiling for 10 months," he said. "As a spectacle people loved it because of the intensity, but we wanted to move the ball a bit more as we had done against Manawatu the week before.

"Our guys felt as though they got lost in the moment. They choked up a wee bit."

Southland might not have showed much flair, but they had ample composure, something Counties will need to replicate if they are to stand a chance. In the final quarter against Wellington, they began to look ragged on defence.

"If we can keep our discipline on defence and do what we do on attack, because we're pretty natural counter-attackers, who knows," said Haig. "Leading the table at the end of round three could become a reality."

SOUTHLAND v COUNTIES-MANUKAU
Invercargill, 5.30 today
Referee: Garratt Williamson

SOUTHLAND
Dave Hernderson
Robbie Robinson
Glen Horton
Kendrick Lynn
Matt Saunders
James Paterson
James Wilson
Scott Cowan
Kane Thompson
Tim Boys
John Hardie
Alex Ryan
Josh Bekhuis
Chris King
Jason Rutledge
J. Mackintosh (c)
Reserves: Brayden Mitchell, Nic Barratt, Dion Bates, Elliott Dixon, Sonny Rangitoheriri, Mark Wells, Tony Koonwaiyou.

COUNTIES-MANUKAU
Milton Haig
Tim Nanai-Williams
Ahsee Tuala
Siale Piutau
Tana Umaga
Sherwin Stowers
Baden Kerr
August Pulu
Viliami Fihaki
P. Koloamatangi
Fritz Lee
Jamie Chipman
Taiasina Tuifua
Jono Owen
Grant Henson
Simon Lemalu
Reserves: Mark Price, Jeremiah Fatialofa, R. Raaymakers, Mark Selwyn, Samisoni Fisilau, Reynold Lee-Lo, David Raikuna.