Jonah raring to go

LONDON - Protection - who needs protection? Former All Black Jonah Lomu has revealed he has no plans to wear any protective equipment to safeguard his new kidney in his eagerly anticipated comeback match.

The 121kg winger next week plays his first competitive match since August 2003, when he captains a Southern Hemisphere XV in Martin Johnson's testimonial at Twickenham.

And he was adamant there were no health risks in returning to top level rugby.

Lomu's new kidney, donated by friend Grant Kereama, has been placed in the less vulnerable position behind the ribcage rather than in the lower abdomen to give the winger a fighting chance of returning to rugby.

On the brink of international rugby's most remarkable comeback, Lomu again reiterated he had received specialist medical advice stating there was no chance of damaging his kidney - even if he was hit hard by an opponent.

"I know how lucky I am to have this chance. "I'm not going to risk my health, my life, for the sake of rugby," he said. "The only protection I need out there is myself. Nothing else."

Lomu said that if an opponent held back in any way because he was a transplant recipient, then they were likely to come off second best.

"The first thing is that they will have to get near me. But if they take it easy, they're going to find out about it."

Although reality - and the critics - suggest that Lomu will be hard-pressed to reclaim his No 11 All Blacks jersey, the big winger says for the moment all he is focusing on is getting his first match under his belt.

Since he was medically cleared to resume training, Lomu has been working on a gruelling conditioning schedule aimed at getting him in top physical shape for next weekend.

Lomu will line up alongside current and past greats, including Ian Jones, Eric Rush, Carlos Spencer, Troy Flavell and Toutai Kefu against the Johnson XV, which features French trio Imanol Harinordoquy, Tony Marsh and Raphael Ibanez.

Former All Black coach John Hart will coach the Lomu XV.

The match will also double as a fund-raiser for Kidney Kids of New Zealand.

Lomu became the youngest All Black when he made his debut against France in 1994, aged 19 years and 45 days. Despite being told of the possibility of kidney failure just before the 1995 World Cup, he went on to play almost nine years of top-level rugby.

He now aims to get back into the All Blacks for the 2007 World Cup.

* LOMU'S XV

Forwards: Kees Meeuws (Castres, New Zealand), Craig Dowd (Wasps, New Zealand), Dave Hewett (Canterbury, New Zealand), Danie Coetzee (Bulls, South Africa), Trevor Leota (Wasps, Samoa), Ian Jones (New Zealand), Troy Flavell (Toyota, New Zealand), Greg Rawlinson (Blues), Corne Kriger (Northampton, South Africa), Justin Collins (Blues), Scott Robertson (Perpignan, New Zealand), Toutai Kefu (Kubota, Australia).

Backs: Jason Spice (Ospreys, New Zealand), Mark Robinson (Northampton, New Zealand), Carlos Spencer (Blues, Northampton, New Zealand), David Howell (Leinster, Hurricanes, New Zealand), Daryl Gibson (Liecester, New Zealand), Keith Lowen (Chiefs, New Zealand Maori), Matt Burke (Newcastle, Australia), Jonah Lomu (North Harbour, Hurricanes, New Zealand), Eric Rush (New Zealand Sevens, New Zealand), Lome Faatau (Hurricanes, Samoa), Bruce Reihana (Northampton, NZ).

- HERALD ON SUNDAY