Rugby: 'Ice' warming to serious rugby after recent surgery

Isaia Toeava. Photo / Greg Bowker

Rugby players like looking serious or threatening for their promotional mugshots. Isaia Toeava is no exception but he caves in to some sideline skylarking from Blues teammate Alby Mathewson.

"Ice" gets the giggles and pleads for a retake as Mathewson punches the air with delight.

The photoshoot is all part of the pre-season checklist teams go through as the countdown to kickoff in the Super Rugby season approaches. They have done plenty of conditioning, played a few trial games and are ticking off the rest of the off-field duties before the February 18 series start.

Toeava is ready after a pre-Xmas layoff to rest some knee damage and is being lined up to play fullback or centre for the Blues. That could all change depending on injury but it is a narrow portfolio for someone who has played every backline position in first-class rugby except halfback.

After his left-field selection for the All Blacks as a teenager in 2005, Toeava is now something of a veteran. He has played 30 tests, been to one World Cup and with his utility value, is a strong candidate to be chosen for this year's event in New Zealand.

First up though the new Super Rugby series. In last year's version, Toeava was one of the standout performers for the Blues and heading for further international recognition when he was sidelined with a hip injury. Surgery took him out of the game for four months before he returned on limited matchplay for the end of year tour. Now is the big season for everyone, especially the expectations on coach Pat Lam and the Blues. They have promised results in a year when they start at home against the Crusaders and then head off to South Africa. Toeava wants to push his case for the No 15 jersey.

"I played there most of last year and enjoyed it and it seemed to work with the new rules," he said. Toeava giggled as he reckoned he could also escape some of the game's physical punishment rather than being up in the frontline attack and defence formations. However, he had to do a great deal of organisation and running.

"I've got to follow the ball a lot because if there is a little kick they put through and I'm not there then I get the blame. But I also have wings to help me out."

Toeava was frustrated hip surgery curtailed his offerings from mid-year last season but acknowledges the timing was spot on to allow him a full tilt in this World Cup year.

"It is great because I am free of pain. It was frustrating at the time and I did hurt my knee on the end of year tour which meant six weeks off and I am just trying to do a whole lot of work to get my speed back now," he said.

Toeava even turned down a family holiday and in particular the lure of food in Samoa to get his leg sorted.

"I've been doing a lot running and bike work and we have been working hard in the heat to get sorted for our trip to Africa. I'd like to start at fullback but we'll see - maybe I'll be in midfield somewhere too."

That is a cluttered selection area for the All Blacks with Ma'a Nonu, Sonny Bill Williams and Conrad Smith there already and others like Robbie Fruean, Benson Stanley, Rene Ranger, Luke McAlister, Richard Kahui, and perhaps Toeava and Tana Umaga in the melting pot for selection. The last pair may be in action when the Blues meet the Chiefs on Friday at Pukekohe in their last trial game before kickoff in the debut year of Super Rugby.

"I played against Tana in 2007 in Super 14 and he was pretty scary," Toeava recalled. "Then we were up against him last year against Counties. He is still good, he has still got it, hits hard in defence and runs good lines in attack. I hope he has a rest this week, maybe I'll suggest that to their coach."