All Black back at old club

All Black lock Keith Robinson has sneaked back into club rugby, playing a few games for his old Thames Valley club Te Aroha.

The six-test former Chiefs man is reportedly carrying some extra weight and struggling for fitness but is managing to get by.

When contacted by the Herald on Sunday, he said he was "going OK" but was not keen for publicity as he is unsure whether he will be able to play at a higher level.

Robinson has been out of senior rugby for almost two years following a serious back injury that required two operations.

His injury woes began before the first Tri Nations match of 2004. Robinson had enjoyed a sterling Super 12, helping the Chiefs into the playoffs for the first and so far only time, and had been a starter in the first two All Black tests against England.

But in the week leading up to the clash against Australia, he took a knock that inflamed an old lower back injury that had previously required surgery.

"I could walk around but I had no power. I would have been no bloody good in the All Black scrum," he told the Herald on Sunday last year.

It forced him to pull out of the Tri Nations and then he later required surgery.

He made a tentative return to training a few months later but was still plagued by back pain and unable to play a full game.

The pain got worse and by October 2004, he was barely able to walk. That forced a second operation that left the 29-year-old unsure whether he would ever play again.

The second operation revealed significant scar tissue and a bulging disc that was placing intense pressure on his sciatic nerve.

The second operation, however, was deemed a success and he made a low-key return to Waikato club rugby in March 2005, playing for Morrinsville Old Boys.

A week later, he was named to start for the Chiefs against the Sharks but aggravated his back in lineout drills just a few hours before kick-off.

He failed to make enough progress to be selected for the NPC and as a consequence, was not selected for this year's Chiefs squad as the medics were adamant he would not be fit in time to make any impact.

But through all this, Robinson, a man admired by All Black coach Graham Henry, has persevered with what training he could do and kept the belief he could return to competitive rugby at some level.

Robinson said he has been a bit sore after each game he has played this season but that he has enjoyed it.

He is still way off being in the necessary shape to play at the next level but Waikato coach Warren Gatland remains hopeful that the rugged lock could yet be ready later this year for the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup.