Rugby: Jane a stay at home dad

Cory Jane. Photo / Getty Images

Cory Jane knows he really has to work harder on his timing.
The All Blacks fullback is set to miss the Hurricanes' Super 15 rugby match against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night due to the imminent birth of his third child.

His wife, Amie, is due to give birth any day now, meaning Jane is resigned to waving goodbye to his teammates when they leave tomorrow for the Australian capital.

"The due date is Monday but the midwives are telling us it will probably come early. She's had a few pains but that has been on-going for a week," Jane told NZPA today.

"I can't really go tomorrow then try to get back in time," he said after Andre Taylor ran in his place during a training session in the capital.

Jane has not got a great record when it comes to timing the arrival of his offspring. His eldest child arrived two weeks early when he was in the United States playing for New Zealand Maori in 2006. He was at home for the season though shortly before an All Blacks' end-of-year tour.

Jane agreed when told his timing needed some refinement.

"It is hard to judge these thing. If it had come earlier this week it would have been perfect."

While the 27-year-old will hold off joining the team for their three-match overseas trip to Australia and South Africa until the domestic issue resolves itself, there is no question he'd much prefer to be alongside his playing colleagues as their season goes on the line in Canberra.

One win from six outings leaves the Hurricanes at the foot of the New Zealand conference and a win is crucial to the team's flickering hopes of qualifying for the top six playoffs.

The uncertainty over Jane's availability has seen him bracketed with Taylor at fullback, with Alapati Leiua likewise bracketed with Taylor on the wing.

Either Leiua or Taylor will don the No 14 jersey ahead of 20-year-old Julian Savea, who is being rested and misses the match day 22 altogether, a selection coach Mark Hammett said was simply a case of managing the young man's workload.

Hammett has made two other changes as well, injecting the talkative Tyson Keats at halfback ahead of Chris Eaton and reintroducing first five-eighth Aaron Cruden at the expense of Daniel Kirkpatrick.

The forward pack remains intact from the bruising 14-26 loss to the champion Bulls side in Napier last weekend when Hammett was happy with the endeavour and work rate of his forwards.

"The main thing we looked at was how we could be more attacking and maintain that defence that was so good against the Bulls," Hammett said.

"The forward pack who gutsed it out were pretty strong and stopped a big Bulls pack for the most part."

Hammett revealed that All Blacks inside back Piri Weepu was on track to make his comeback against the Reds in Wellington on April 30.

The authority and experience of the halfback and occasional first five-eighth has been sorely missed by the Hurricanes as he continue to rehabilitate from a broken leg suffered last October.

"He's hoping and should be playing a club game on the 16th. He needs to get through a couple of club games before we look at him."

Hurricanes: Cory Jane/Andre Taylor, Taylor/Alapati Leiua, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Hosea Gear, Aaron Cruden, Tyson Keats, Victor Vito, Serge Lilo, Jack Lam, Jason Eaton, Jeremy Thrush, Neemia Tialata, Andrew Hore (captain), John Schwalger. Reserves: Dane Coles, Michael Bent, James Broadhurst, Faifili Levave, Chris Eaton, Daniel Kirkpatrick, Charlie Ngatai.

- NZPA