EDINBURGH - Reuben Thorne's third rugby World Cup campaign will finally get under way here on Monday morning (NZ time) and it's about time too according to his All Blacks teammates.
The man who captained New Zealand in their failed campaign four years ago is back in moreof a support role this time but a strained hamstring has meant no on-field contribution yet from the 32-year-old.
He will pack down alongside Ali Williams at lock against Scotland for his 49th test.
Thorne was named on the reserve bench for the opening pool game against Italy at Marseille two weeks ago but was forced out 24 hours before kickoff with a recurrence of the niggly hamstring first felt earlier this season.
A patient recuperation programme has paid off. Thorne's return will ease tension at lock caused by Keith Robinson's ongoing calf problems.
Williams was looking forward to uniting with the Canterbury workhorse, the pair having locked together only once before, in the 2004 tour-ending game against the Barbarians at Twickenham.
"He probably does the stuff that the cameras and the writers and the other people don't see. He's one of those guys who puts his head in there and does the shit work," Williams said of Thorne.
"He doesn't want to be glorified, he just does the hard work and he's one of those guys that every team needs.
"I love playing alongside him. You just look up and you see the pure energy on his face."
Thorne has had his fair share of critics throughout an eight-year test career in which he has mostly played as a blindside flanker.
Some believe he is not prominent or dynamic enough around the field while others claim he was too quiet to be an effective captain.
While the 32-year-old has long-accepted he is not universally admired, Williams was less patient.
He challenged journalists when questioned on whether Thorne was a quiet on-field presence.
"For a lot of us, that's how we are now. Actions speak louder than words and he's one of those guys that says ... `follow me', there's no need to talk," he said.
"If you were playing alongside these guys, you wouldn't write half the stuff you write.
"It's just how it is. We go to war with these guys, we know them inside out."
Williams is forced to start a third consecutive game this weekend while Chris Jack is on the reserve bench.
