Rugby: Stalwart Muir casts eyes overseas

The Waikato captain thinks the grass might be greener in foreign pastures. CHRIS RATTUE reports.

WAIKATO v NORTHLAND

Waikato rugby captain Deon Muir could be about to join the list of high-profile players heading overseas.

The 27-year-old Muir today leads his side in the first tough Ranfurly Shield defence of 2000, against Northland, the province where he spent most of his childhood.

Muir's value to Waikato was again in evidence last week as he inspired his side to a come-from-behind win over Otago at Carisbrook in the opening round of the NPC.

But while Waikato may place a high value on their specialist No 8, the same cannot be said for the Chiefs, and Muir's rough ride with the Super 12 franchise means he is seriously considering offers to join a club in Japan or France at the end of this year.

In four seasons, Muir has played barely 20 Super 12 matches as the Chiefs have imported first Auckland's Dylan Mika and then, to Muir's annoyance, Isitolo Maka.

As a top Waikato official said this week: "Deon just hasn't had the chance to play many Super 12 games and it's certainly been a bone of contention around here."

Waikato coach Kiwi Searancke also weighed in after the win over Otago, saying: "Deon has struggled to impress the powers-that-be at Super 12 level.

"I think that is very disappointing because he offers so much to a team."

Muir had a handful of games at the end of the 1997 season but did not get on the field at all in 1998, when Errol Brain led the side in every match.

The following year he had to contest the position with Mika, and had just one start this year when the Chiefs belatedly imported Maka as an injury replacement after he was unwanted at the Highlanders.

Coach Ross Cooper, whose position is under severe threat after another disappointing season, gave Muir one start, against the lowly Bulls in Rotorua, and he struggled even to get on the bench in other matches .

"Of course that really annoyed me," says Muir. "I thought I was going to have a good season but it wasn't to be. I didn't see the purpose of having two specialist No 8s.

"It makes it very difficult when you never know if you're going to be playing or not.

"I really look forward to playing with Waikato because I know I will be playing and the coaches have faith in me.

"I want to play in New Zealand but after what has happened I'm going to have to sit down and assess things at the end of the year.

"There are a lot of people looking overseas and I'm very tempted by the offers. The Japan option is very interesting.

"I'll just have to wait and see who the Chiefs' coaching staff are and what their plans are."

Today's Ranfurly Shield match holds special significance for Muir. Born in Rotorua, he was raised in Kaiwaka, on the main highway just north of Wellsford, where his parents ran the Gateway cafe.

Muir could not break into Northland representative sides as a kid. The nearest he came was when he and his current Waikato team-mate Todd Miller made a primary schools tournament B team, who beat the A side.

Muir boarded at St Stephen's School, then completed a diploma in sport and recreation at the Tauranga Polytechnic.

He then moved in with a mate in Te Awamutu, and has been Waikato through-and-through ever since.

"Having been brought up in Northland, it really puts a bit extra on this match," Muir said. "I always remember the times when we lost up there and my parents would give me a bit of grief, although they have always supported Waikato since I've played for them."

Muir said Waikato's focus this week had been on improving their lineouts, which were awful against Otago, and scrums. And the match will be another chance for Waikato to prove some of their doubters wrong.

"We are a bit of an older team. We read recently a claim we were on the slide and we took that on board. It has made us all the more determined," Muir said.

As always, Waikato will be able to rely on the commitment from their tough leader in today's clash.

But for how long, is now the question.