Rugby: Brooke now the will-he, won't-he man

By WYNNE GRAY and NZPA

Robin Brooke's turbulent rugby season is heading for another will-he or won't-he week.

From discard to influential, Brooke has travelled through a range of contributions in the NPC season as Auckland assessed the value of the former test lock and provincial captain.

Unwanted at the start of the NPC, Brooke was then used as a substitute before he became a full-blown influence for Auckland in their scrap with Canterbury.

When Dylan Mika became ill, Brooke was pulled into the starting XV, with Charles Reichelmann switching to flanker. Brooke showed many of his old lineout and kickoff reception skills to suggest he would be retained for Friday's match with Wellington.

But a collision with Canterbury fullback Leon MacDonald has left Brooke in some doubt. While MacDonald surprisingly returned to the action after treatment when he was knocked out, Brooke played on, but in some discomfort from a bruised sternum.

He did not train yesterday and his fitness, and that of wing Doug Howlett, has to be assessed before coach Wayne Pivac picks his side.

Wellington have problems, too, with No 8 Filo Tiatia having two pins put in a wrist yesterday to help to mend his broken limb. He will not play again in the NPC, but could still be available for the All Blacks' or NZA's end-of-year tours.

Halfback Jason Spice is also in doubt because of an ankle ligament strain, but Wellington should have star wing Tana Umaga back to link up with Christian Cullen, Jonah Lomu and Alama Ieremia.

An area Auckland will have to scrub up on is their scrum. It was in a severe tangle against Canterbury, while earlier in the season it had struggled against Taranaki.

"At different stages we had some problems on both sides of the scrum," Pivac said. "It is something we will be addressing this week."

After reviewing the Canterbury match yesterday, he further lamented a game his side let slip after being 26-15 ahead.

He was not prepared to finger some decisions by the referee and touch judges for the defeat, instead accepting Auckland had put themselves under pressure.

"They were little things, silly errors, and Canterbury are a good side who punish those lapses.

"However, we took a fair amount of self-belief and confidence from the match."

Meanwhile, the Taranaki Rugby Football Union yesterday apologised for its players' behaviour in the first-division match against Wellington in the capital on Saturday.

Wellington won 41-13 after Taranaki had two players sent off and another sinbinned. Halfback Brendan Haami was ordered off for stomping and replacement hooker Daniel Smith joined him for a high and dangerous tackle, while flanker Brent Thompson was sinbinned for a late tackle.

All three have been cited to appear before a New Zealand union judiciary in Wellington tomorrow.

The Taranaki union released a statement issued in the names of the province's chief executive, Paul Easton, coaches Colin Cooper and Kieran Crowley, and captain Andy Slater.

"The Taranaki team are disappointed with their discipline in the match against Wellington on Saturday night and realise the responsibility they have to their fans and supporters," the statement read.

Cooper said: "We have talked a lot about discipline this year and the message was certainly not heeded on Saturday night.

"The team feel they have let down the amber and black jersey and need to put that right."