Ormsby back to be counted on

Kristian Ormsby

Kristian Ormsby was a poster child for all that was failing Counties-Manukau rugby.

Now after a three-season exile the abrasive forward is a focal point as the reborn Steelers plot a makeover.

Ormsby has happily returned "home" after a stint in Wellington, the sort of shift necessitated for many Counties products because the province could not supply a platform of top level rugby for its best players.

The New Zealand Maori, Hurricanes and latterly Chiefs lock/blindside was one of several promising youngsters to see no future in the NPC second division so headed to greener, more lucrative and prestigious pastures.

Counties' glory seasons in the mid-1990s eventually turned into one long winter as Errol Brain headed to Japan, Tony Marsh ended up playing for France, Jim Coe hung up his boots, and Blair Feeney went to Otago then overseas -- though the veteran pivot is now back for a second stint.

They also used to have a couple of useful wingers called Lomu and Vidiri....

Ormsby, who once had enough mobility for a 1.94m, 120kg forward to make the national sevens team, missed the Brain era.

He was blooded during that ignominious slide from the 1997 NPC final to mid-table obscurity in the second division.

After three seasons, enough was enough.

Now 26, he joined the all points exodus after the 2002 campaign.

With him went the likes of Loki Crichton, Casey Laulala, Sitiveni Sivivatu and John Afoa -- talent fostered in Counties but matured elsewhere.

However, Ormsby is now back in South Auckland -- and couldn't be happier.

"It's pretty exciting to be back. As soon as I heard it was in the pipeline (Counties-Manukau being part of the revamped provincial championship's top tier) I considered it.

"It's worked out well coming home. Hopefully more will come back."

Ormsby, with more than 50 Super rugby games under his belt, will shoulder a fair level of responsibility.

Brain, now back as the Steelers assistant coach to Kevin Putt, reiterated Ormsby's role, as if there was any doubt.

"Kristian's a real Counties boy," Brain said.

"He's the sort of player the rest of the players, those who haven't been professionals, can benchmark themselves against.

"He's going to be critical for us because he's a fulltime professional and the others will need to come up to his level and not vice versa."

Ahead of the Counties-Manukau return to the big time against Otago at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday afternoon (4.00pm), Ormsby said the expectations piled upon him were not a concern.

"I don't feel the pressure as such. I guess it's more at trainings.

"Come game time you all put your best foot forward anyway but at training I try and lift the boys up to Super 14 level.

"A lot of guys have been loyal to the union and this is their chance to see if they can make the step up."

A degree of loyalty also figured in Ormsby's decision to return home.

"There's a bit of that. It's a proud union with a proud history.

"The amount of talent that has gone out of here is pretty huge. If we can hold on to a bit of that and get a bit of the past back, that'd be outstanding."

- NZPA