Hart to coach Lomu 15

Former All Black Coach John Hart. Picture / Derek Flynn

Former All Blacks coach John Hart has agreed to coach Jonah Lomu's 15 for the winger's comeback game in June.

Hart said Lomu asked him to coach the side a few weeks ago and he was delighted to take on the job.

Lomu said today that he was intending to play the full 80 minutes when he captains the southern hemisphere side in Martin Johnson's testimonial match at Twickenham.

Johnson, who led England to their World Cup triumph in Australia in 2003, announced his retirement from all rugby overnight.

Lomu said from London that he didn't intend being at the match just to make the up the numbers.

"I've told everyone here that I'm not there to make up the numbers," he told Newstalk ZB.

"I'm not there to just play 30 minutes. I want to play the whole 80 minutes."

He was happy with his training and his build-up back to match fitnesss.

"I'm not far off it," he said. "It's just making sure I get game time on and also just getting knocked about a bit as well."

Lomu, who made his All Black test debut as a 19 year old, was capped 63 times between 1994 and 2002, despite battling Nephrotic Syndrome.

He starred in both the 1995 and 1999 World Cup tournaments, but by 2003, his health problems had worsened to the extent that he dropped out of the Super 12 that season.

Last July, he had a kidney transplant.

Lomu said the sceptics who questioned his return to the playing field were entitled to their opinion.

But he had been working with medical specialists, his wife and family were behind him and he was confident he was not putting himself at risk.

The make-up of the team he would captain was still to be confirmed.

Earlier today, Lomu told a news conference at Twickenham that his training schedule over the next four months would be a testing one and would be combined with playing sevens rugby.

"I've got so much energy I don't know what to do with it," he said.

"I train three times a day six times a week and am going through three trainers a day as they can't keep up."

He said he was limiting his ambitions to the short term.

"I've always dreamed about returning to the top of the game, but my goal at the moment is June 4."

He added that there was no particular risk to his new kidney, which had been put in the same region as his original kidneys.

"I've taken all the steps," he said.

"I am taking no more risks than any one crossing the road."

Johnson said he was delighted to see Lomu back in action.

"He's always been a real draw for the game and it's fantastic that he has come back," he said.

"To see him come back from illness is amazing."

- NZPA