Lomu 'rested' for Samoa test

By WYNNE GRAY

Special rugby player, special conditions apply.

The world's most feared wing, Jonah Lomu, has been marked for singular attention again, this time by the All Black selectors who have omitted him from their opening test squad.

Instead of playing Samoa at Albany on Saturday night, Lomu will be employed on the wing for his Wainuiomata club when they meet Tawa at Lyndhurst Park in Wellington.

Lomu's exclusion could have been understood more easily had he been joined in similar exile by other senior players. Instead, the 25-year-old was the solitary example of an experienced player being rested.

There was some high-level displeasure about Lomu going to play overseas, especially after he could not complete the Super 12 because of a foot injury. However, his NZ Rugby Union contract, which expires this year, allows him to play some festival matches and some sevens tournaments.

Bypassing Lomu is likely to draw as much discussion as the introduction of three new players, Mark Ranby, Marty Holah and Carl Hayman, and the approaching milestone of the 1000th All Black. The landmark will be reached against Samoa should two of the three new men play.

But that historic possibility was overshadowed yesterday when Lomu's name was left off the list.

Coach Wayne Smith offered a mix of explanations.

"We know how good he is," he said. "But we've got a couple of very good wingers named [Jeff Wilson and Doug Howlett]. He won't be needed for the Samoa match, but obviously will be down the track."

Though Lomu had returned "battered and bruised" from his global tour where he played for the Barbarians and also answered an SOS for the New Zealand sevens side, he was not injured.

He fronted well at the Palmerston North training camp, although his overseas trip meant he had not had as much time learning the proposed All Black patterns and "another week won't hurt him."

Lomu's manager, Phil Kingsley Jones, was surprised and bemused.

"He wants to play, he is playing better than ever and is on top of his game. Jonah needs to play to stay in form."

Lomu was philosophical: "It's a professional era, it's professional sport. I'm still behind on certain things, certain tactics that we've got, and I'm working on those hard."

One who will not worry about the arrangement is Samoan wing Fa'apulou So'olefai, who was due to mark Lomu this weekend.

The Samoan side arrived yesterday after beating Fiji 36-27 to remain unbeaten in the PacRim tournament.

"Jonah is a superstar but I am sure the replacement will be a top player and the All Blacks will still be an awesome team," Samoan coach John Boe said.

The big beneficiary will be Wilson, confirmed as an All Black again after his year out of the game and poised to add to his 54 caps at Albany. In two previous tests there, he has netted nine tries, against Fiji and Samoa. If Troy Flavell is still troubled by his throat injury, Chris Jack will join the squad.The test XV will be announced after training on Wednesday.

All Blacks test 22

Backs: Leon MacDonald, Jeff Wilson, Doug Howlett, Tana Umaga, Mark Ranby, Pita Alatini, Andrew Mehrtens, Tony Brown, Justin Marshall, Byron Kelleher.

Forwards: Ron Cribb, Taine Randell, Marty Holah, Reuben Thorne, Troy Flavell, Mark Cooksley, Norm Maxwell, Carl Hayman, Carl Hoeft, Greg Somerville, Anton Oliver (capt), Mark Hammett.