By WYNNE GRAY
GENOA - A swarm of Italian journalists buzz round close to Carlos Spencer, looking, gesticulating and wondering why he is the All Black first five-eighths tomorrow.
While they are excited, Spencer is about as casual as you can get. He is wearing shorts, T-shirt, cap and thongs; the only sign of any tension comes as he wrings his hands together when he answers questions.
He is short of any ideas on why he has been preferred to Andrew Mehrtens for this Genoa test against Italy. He has only been told he is in, and has not had a chance to chat to coach Wayne Smith.
Was he surprised then?
Only in that he was getting some vibes that he might be getting a run at fullback after he trained in that position during the week.
Smith later explains: Christian Cullen wanted to rectify his last performance against France at Marseilles, while Mehrtens was on top of his game, secure psychologically and had been relieved of his job only to give Spencer a chance.
"Carlos is a superb professional. You only have to see how well he prepares all the time," Smith said. "This is an acknowledgement of that and also a desire to ensure our quality players get test time. It is not in our interests to have just one player in each position."
A year ago, Spencer was having surgery to repair a knee which he wrecked in the early days of the World Cup when Dylan Mika smashed into him and a tackle-bag at training.
He got back for a few games in the Super 12 to help the Blues and to give him confidence that his knee had recovered.
He went back to rest and rehabilitation during the rest of the club competition and then came steadily through the NPC to make the All Black tour.
"I have had a few niggly moments in the last few months. I think the knee needs a bit more strength work," Spencer said. "But I have to be happy with the progress and then make sure it is really right over summer."
Spencer said he just listened to the medical experts during his rehab and followed their instructions.
"I might have come back a fraction early. I probably should have missed the Super 12 altogether, but that was keenness on my part because I had been out for so long," he said.
During his layoff, Spencer also thought seriously about taking up an offer to join the Leicester club in England. Plenty was happening and he was not even on the field.
"The Leicester thing was touch and go for a while. I was definitely serious about going, but I am even happier to stay in New Zealand because that was my preference," he said.
"Getting this start tops off the sort of year I have not really expected."
Spencer last had a decent run in the All Blacks in 1997, when he retained the first five-eighths job after Mehrtens had been injured.
The 25-year-old has played 13 tests, while Mehrtens, two years older, has turned out in 47.
Reports suggested Spencer played an influential part in the All Blacks' victory in Japan on the way to Europe, but he said he had done nothing different in training to persuade Smith to play him in Genoa.
"I don't go out there to impress. I am always training hard, anyway," he said.
Spencer looks very solid and admits to 98kg - a concession that he is a shade too heavy. Just before the NPC he hit 100kg as he worked on his strength and food intake, but he wants to trim back to about 95kg for the Blues' Super 12 season.
An off-season will be spent between Auckland and his home town, Levin, but casual as he may seem, Spencer has his sights on one decent test to end his year.
He is one All Black not running on empty.
href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=159627&thesection=Story&thesubsection=&reportID=56528">Test schedule/scoreboard
Laid-back Spencer ready to fire
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