Ex-All Black tries 'rooster-booster' remedy

Former All Black Aaron Mauger's place in this weekend's Heineken Cup semifinals rests with the powers of a German doctor who uses rooster body parts in his healing processes.

Hit by a back problem, Mauger's club sent him to Munich to visit Dr Hans Muller-Wolfhart whose patients have included English sporting stars Michael Owen and Paula Radcliffe.

The Daily Mail reported that Muller-Wolfhart's treatment includes a substance taken from crushed pink cockerels' combs.

Now Leicester wait to see if the "rooster-booster" will have Mauger fit to face Cardiff in their crucial Heineken Cup semifinal in Cardiff on Monday (NZ time).

The Tigers are also in the English premiership playoffs and see Mauger as crucial to their chances.

The second five-eighths, who was voted the Tigers player of the year, said he had become worried by his back condition once it started affecting the feeling in one leg.

He believes Muller-Wolfhart has got him on the path to recovery and he is confident of playing this weekend.

"'The doctor has various homeopathic remedies and it seems to be doing the job for me. It's got me moving again," Mauger told the Daily Mail.

"I've had a bit of a degenerative back problem for my whole career and playing a lot of rugby this season brought it to a head. It flared up and it's taking time to settle down.

"I lost some feeling down one leg but it's not too bad now. It's still not 100 percent and it will have to be by Sunday. A full week's training and I'll be confident of being fit for the Cardiff game."

Munster and Leinster play in the other Heineken Cup semifinal in Dublin on Sunday (NZ time).

There will be no lack of Kiwi flavour to the semifinals.

Cardiff have Paul Tito, Ben Blair and Xavier Rush on their books while Mauger is joined in the Leicester squad by former All Blacks Craig Newby and Scott Hamilton.

Isa Nacewa is at Leinster and Munster's overseas players include Doug Howlett, Nick Williams and Lifeimi Mafi.

- © Fairfax NZ News