Umaga refuses to stay on sidelines

Tana Umaga

The plan was for Tana Umaga to sit back and take some of the load off during this Tri Nations.

That was the plan until he heard about it and suggested the All Black coaches come up with a new one which had him very much in the lead role.

The coaches had originally floated the prospect of resting their skipper as they were concerned about his workload. His body has been through a bit in the last nine years and at 32 limbs take a bit longer to recover.

It was a case of getting the balance right. Umaga is the key player in the All Black back division. His presence alone creates doubt in opponents. He's the best in the world at attacking short, flat passes and only Frank Bunce can be mentioned in the same breath defensively.

After the Lions series, no one would dispute the importance of a fit Umaga to the All Blacks. And that is where the balance has to be right. He needs to stay fit and the selectors must assess their options at centre as Umaga will not be around forever.

But they can try alternative centres without resting Umaga. They just need to shift him to second five-eighths, which is what may happen in one or possibly both of the All Blacks' home games.

And they probably don't need to worry too much about burning out their prize asset.

Coming into the Lions series Umaga had played 13 games since February 26. After the Hurricanes' semifinal loss to the Crusaders on May 20, he had three weeks off before playing Fiji on June 10. He enjoyed another two weeks off before the first test against the Lions on June 25.

Assuming he starts in Cape Town, it will be his first game in four weeks. If he plays all four Tri Nations games, his tally for the season will be 19, increasing to 23 if he plays all four games on the Grand Slam tour.

Once the Tri Nations is out of the way, he may play a couple of NPC games after he's had some time off.

So in the calendar year he's unlikely to play more than 25 games. That equates to having every other weekend off.

Umaga remains coy about still being around in 2007 but he's got to be a good chance of making it to the next World Cup. Compare his 25 games a season with the 40-plus racked up by most of England's elite.

Age shouldn't be a barrier, either. He'll be 34 in 2007. Bunce was still carving up the Boks when he was almost 36. Age is an obstacle of perception, not reality, as Umaga showed by playing probably the best football of his career against the Lions. His passion for the contest was obvious.

The All Black coaches have seen the energy he draws from being involved in tests. Resting Umaga would frustrate him, sap his enthusiasm, and probably start him thinking about life after football.

That's why he's likely to play in all four Tri Nations tests and, in all probability, once again be the dominant figure of the series.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY