Rugby: Gym bunny Weepu champing at the bit

Piri Weepu is stretchered off from the field during the round 12 ITM Cup match between Wellington and Taranaki last year. Photo / Getty Images

Piri Weepu emerged from a media scrum having announced his comeback to rugby and promptly headed back to the gym - where he has spent the best part of four months staring at four walls and the odd mirror.

The combative All Blacks inside back was at Rugby League Park in Wellington, the training base of the Hurricanes, whose Super 15 season is hurtling downhill fast after just one win in seven outings.

They have had to do without Weepu and will not get his services back until April 30 at the earliest, a date circled on his kitchen wall calendar which marks six months since he broke a leg and dislocated an ankle playing for Wellington against Taranaki.

For the first time in months the 27-year-old wore a wide grin as he talked about a long awaited comeback, which he launches on Saturday by turning out for his club side Wainuiomata.

He intends spending time on the paddock in three matches in a seven day period, two outings for Wainuiomata sandwiching an appearance for the Hurricanes Development 15 next Wednesday.

Then, all going well, he wants to front for the Hurricanes against the table-topping Reds.

For Weepu, April 30 cannot roll around quickly enough because his enforced spell on the sidelines has fully tested the patience of the 44-test All Blacks halfback and first five-eighth.

"I have been counting down the days, minutes and hours for the past four months," he told NZPA

"It does kind of get boring when you are in the gym all the time.''

During the early stages of his rehabilitation Weepu kept his exertions to a minimum before undertaking a variety of gym work incorporating upperbody weights, leg weights of late, spending time on the bike grinder and in a rowing machine plus a bit of boxing to help break up the monotony.

He spent a period building strength in his leg and ankle by straight line running before rejoining his Hurricanes teammates on the training paddock a fortnight ago.

Weepu, who has battled weight issues in the past, was happy to report he had put on only 3-4kg since October and he was confident the excess can be trimmed in coming weeks.

However, he also warned that his impending return was not a magic elixir for a Hurricanes side struggling to adapt to the new coaching regime of Mark Hammett.

"People might expect quite a bit from me but it's not like I can suddenly turn the season around just by playing 20 minutes when I'm back," he said.

"Some of the influence I can have in terms of leading the team around the field may contribute but I just hope the guys do not expect a whole lot from me at the beginning.

"It will take me a while to get back to where I was last year."

Weepu admitted watching from the sidelines as the Hurricanes stumbled from one loss to another had been difficult.

"Watching them hasn't been the greatest," said Weepu, who believes the secret to reversing the team's fortunes lies within the players themselves.

He felt too much reliance had been placed on their All Blacks such as captain Andrew Hore, Jason Eaton, Ma'a Nonu and the now injured Conrad Smith.

"They expect guys like Ma'a, Conrad, Andrew and Jason to lead the way and expect them to do everything for the team as opposed to them putting their own hands up and telling the leaders to follow them.

"I guess they expect quite a bit from the All Blacks but everyone has to taken ownership of their own roles and make sure you contribute to the team instead of waiting for the key guys to do it.

"You cannot expect everything to be done by someone else."

- NZPA