Rugby: Big role on tour for bench-bound Hore

Ma'a Nonu, Stephen Donald and Sonny Bill Williams at Trusts Stadium yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore will play a big role in the team leadership group, even if he doesn't get much match-time on the team's five-test Northern Hemisphere tour.

The first-choice All Blacks hooker in 2008 and last year, Hore missed this year's test matches because of a shoulder injury.

He was picked for this tour despite not having played a single national provincial championship match this winter, but All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen said Hore would make an important contribution.

"Not only is he a player, he's a leading senior player who's in the leadership group so he'll have a massive amount of work to do there," Hansen said.

"But we're hoping we can get him on the field reasonably quickly into the tour. It may not be the first or second game but certainly after that. He's going to play quite a bit of rugby."

Hore had to sit back and watch Keven Mealamu make the most of his opportunities at hooker as the All Blacks went through all their test matches so far this season undefeated.

"When you see what they've done through the year it's quite tough to sit back and watch those games and miss on the good times as well," Hore said.

"I think Kevie's probably raised the bar as far as a hooker as well, so to get back in and get the chance to head over on tour is pretty special."

Hore is now hoping his Taranaki NPC team can qualify for the competition semifinals next weekend as it would give him an opportunity to get a match behind him before the tour.

Taranaki, who aren't using Hore this weekend, are fifth on the table and will need to beat North Harbour and hope other results go their way.

"If we make it into the semifinals the big plan is that I'll stay back and play for them next weekend and go from there and join the All Blacks over in the UK," he said.

"It would probably be a reasonable sort of ask to go straight into a test match, but if that happens I'll obviously have to work hard and simulate games as much as possible during the week and go from there."

Hore said his shoulder now felt fairly good and getting back into the swing of match play was his toughest task.

"I suppose as a hooker getting the flexibility back to start throwing the ball again's probably the toughest thing," he said.

"Just getting back into it and getting the confidence back is probably the big thing for me at the moment."

The All Blacks leave tomorrow for Hong Kong where they play Australia, then head to Europe for tests against England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

- NZPA