All Blacks halfback Brendon Leonard during the All Blacks team training session. Photo / Brett Phibbs
LYON - After 134 minutes of rugby for the All Blacks, halfback Brendon Leonard plans to make the most of a long-awaited first test start in the World Cup match against Portugal here on Saturday.
The Waikato livewire's five appearances off the reserve bench this year have all
been decent cracks of the whip.
Leonard has usually had about half an hour to show off an innate ability to bust games open against tiring defences, as was the case in last week's 76-14 defeat of Italy.
Not on Saturday, however, where he will have to gauge the methods of Los Lobos on the fly.
"When you're on the bench ... you get to watch the game and see where you might be able to exploit the opposition," he told NZPA.
"Once you're starting, you try to pick up cues once you're out there. You can't ease into it by watching the game."
Leonard is ranked second behind Byron Kelleher in the team pecking order and ahead of Andrew Ellis. Ellis is the reserve at Stade de Gerland and the only fit player in the squad yet to win a start.
Leonard sensed the "the heat has probably gone up" in the selection race and appreciated his chance to shine from the opening whistle.
"You do think about how much game time you'll get," he said.
"Each different halfback's got different strengths over the other one.
"Now that I'm there (starting), it's very special and I'll just try to enjoy."
Leonard shapes as a late impact weapon in the major games at this tournament but said the coaches have told him he wasn't regarded exclusively as a reserve.
"They've made it clear they want me to continue the running game, which is my natural game," he said.
"But they've also given me pointers on where they want me to improve to try to give that starting spot a bit more of a crack in the bigger games."
The 22-year-old said the element of surprise that saw him shred defences at provincial level first and then on the international stage may be disappearing as opposing coaches do their homework.
Leonard's training is mostly based on explosiveness over the first 10m but laughed off suggestions he could match the All Blacks' outside back division for speed.
"It's a bit of a myth that I'm fast actually," he said.
"I am up against forwards most of the time so maybe they make me look fast."
- NZPA
