A touch of Derren-do

Derren Witcombe can't wait to return to action this weekend. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Rugby players tend to shy away from giant shows of emotion. Whooping and hollering is still not the done thing, although times have changed since the days when an All Black would score a test try and trot, head down, eyes firmly fixed on his boots, back for the restart, with nary a pat on the back.

But Derren Witcombe could be forgiven for letting off some steam yesterday after being named in the Auckland starting XV for the opening Air New Zealand Cup game against Manawatu tomorrow.

A few months ago, Witcombe was wondering if he'd ever pull his boots on again after a serious neck injury in a game against Canterbury at Jade Stadium last October.

But the recovery has gone well. He played a full game against Fiji, and 25 minutes against Samoa on Auckland's pre-season trip to the islands, and there've been no hiccups.

"It's been pretty good. Six months ago I probably wasn't even thinking about playing rugby again, so I'm pretty happy to get a start in this new competition. "I'm just happy to be back playing rugby, to be honest."

What made the timing of his injury harder to take was that Witcombe had just cracked the All Black team. He made his debut against Fiji and appeared in four more tests, two against the Lions, one apiece against South Africa and Australia in the Tri-Nations.

In a competitive field of No 2s, things were looking good. Watching the Super 14 wasn't easy.

"It's a bit frustrating. You try not to let it get to you but, deep down, you're always thinking you wish you were out there. But it was uncontrollable so you can't get too upset about it."

The Hobart-born Witcombe came to prominence with Northland and seems a phlegmatic sort. Life is full of ups and downs and you just plug away and get on with it, appears to be his philosophy.

In his time away, he did some commercial real estate work in Mt Wellington. Just in case, you understand. Sitting on his chuff bemoaning his lot wasn't for him. But there were grim times in the last few months.

"Ask my partner about that," he quipped. "Basically I was waking up every day thinking: 'What am I going to do? Do I find a job or can I get back into rugby?'

"I was always willing to give it another go, but I wasn't too sure how my neck would end up. It was tough."

Neck injuries are extremely dicey. Sometimes it doesn't work out, other times it does. But Witcombe knows being a front rower carries certain requirements. One is that, unlike say a wing or flanker, you can't coast along keeping clear of the grunty stuff.

"In that position you can't go in half-hearted. You've got to give it 100 per cent or you're going to get injured again. I was committed to getting in and doing it, but it was on my mind for obvious reasons."

Witcombe and his partner, Lenska, have had new All Black Greg Rawlinson flatting with them for the last year at their Onehunga house. In that time, they've enjoyed Rawlinson getting his call-up. And way back in the corner of Witcombe's mind, there's this idea that he can one day get back in black as well.

The competition is tough - think Keven Mealamu, Anton Oliver, Andrew Hore, Corey Flynn and Tom Willis.

And yet, there's a sense with Witcombe of unfinished business. Having worked so hard to get the call, then having had the chance of making a long run of it ripped away was difficult to take.

"Everyone wants to play for the All Blacks, and that hasn't changed for me. Probably one of the biggest reasons I came back was that I want to get back into rugby first and achieve some more goals."

His general fitness is good. Witcombe reckons he's stronger than ever, having done plenty of preparation before returning to contact training.

It's way down the line right now, but if he does make it back to the black jersey, it will rank among the great All Black comebacks.

For now Auckland is the focus and " we'll see what happens from there".

Return of the rake

Derren John Charles Witcombe

Born: Oct 30, 1978, Hobart
Height: 1.85m
Weight: 108kg
Position: Hooker
Test debut: v Fiji, June 10, 2005
Tests: 5
Teams: Northland, Blues, Auckland