Tana Umaga adds spice to ITM Cup

LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz

Ex-All Blacks captain and current player and coach for Counties Manukau, Tana Umaga plays his first game of rugby since retiring from the All Blacks and moving to Toulon a few years ago.

Ex-All Blacks captain and current player and coach for Counties Manukau, Tana Umaga plays his first game of rugby since retiring from the All Blacks and moving to Toulon a few years ago.

Ex-All Blacks captain and current player and coach for Counties Manukau, Tana Umaga plays his first game of rugby since retiring from the All Blacks and moving to Toulon a few years ago.

Ex-All Blacks captain and current player and coach for Counties Manukau, Tana Umaga plays his first game of rugby since retiring from the All Blacks and moving to Toulon a few years ago.

Ex-All Blacks captain and current player and coach for Counties Manukau, Tana Umaga plays his first game of rugby since retiring from the All Blacks and moving to Toulon a few years ago.

Ex-All Blacks captain and current player and coach for Counties Manukau, Tana Umaga plays his first game of rugby since retiring from the All Blacks and moving to Toulon a few years ago.

Ex-All Blacks captain and current player and coach for Counties Manukau, Tana Umaga plays his first game of rugby since retiring from the All Blacks and moving to Toulon a few years ago.

« Previous« PreviousNext »Next »

Another chapter in the illustrious career of Tana Umaga began last night in front of 633 spectators in West Auckland.

Playing his first game in New Zealand since bringing up his 100th appearance for Wellington against Manawatu in 2007, the former All Blacks captain lasted until halftime in Counties Manukau's preseason game against Auckland in Waitakere.

The game was a 33-33 draw with Auckland having led 26-0 at one stage, but no doubt a large proportion of the crowd came to this hit out solely to see Umaga.

Although he hardly set the game alight, it was the type of performance you'd expect from veteran who hadn't played since May, when Toulon wrapped up their season.

But despite his 37 years of age, Umaga still demonstrated that he had pace, chasing down Auckland fullback Brent Ward in the seventh minute, swooping onto his former Hurricanes team-mate as he tried to round him. It took until the 19th minute for Umaga to touch the ball for the first time, taking the ball up the midfield before he was quickly jumped on by two Auckland defenders.

Auckland were in front from the third minute with Tevita Mailau going over for a try and there were to be three more scored by the home side before halfback August Pulu got Counties on the scoreboard with a couple of nice individual tries.

Umaga took the ball up a few times over the first half and was vocal in organising the young Steelers backline when the team were defending.

At the break, when former Wellington coach Aussie McLean (who's occasionally helping out with the Steelers) delivered a team talk, Umaga reached for his long coat and a spot on the bench.

Counties held the upper hand for the second half as both teams emptied their benches, with Uini Antonio, Richie Ah Chong and Samisoni Fisilau all bagging tries in what was a remarkable comeback leaving Counties coach Milton Haig feeling far happier about this game than Auckland's Mark Anscombe.

"I've been back for three or four weeks and I feel like I'm from Counties," Umaga said after the match.

"They're a young group and I'm getting the old man quips here and there, but that's fine. I'm enjoying my time with them and if you're around young guys it makes you feel younger, but it also makes me feel like I'm adding something, I'm trying to give back as much as I can through my experiences.

"I was sucking in some big ones at the start, but it was good to get back out there and get the body into some contact again, it's been six or seven weeks.

"I'm feeling alright and the boys really turned it on at the end."

Umaga said he was tired but happy with the game and felt the team could take confidence for the season ahead.

"I probably did too much at the beginning of the week and I was a bit stiff going into it and the Auckland traffic doesn't help because we sat on a bus for an hour and a half and got to the game a bit late."

"We did some good things today and we'll take them away from this. We've got another preseason game next Wednesday (against North Harbour) and hopefully we're building well for the season.

"There were some things early on that we can improve on, but we're trying to build a bit of heart and grit within ourselves as a squad and I think that showed at the end as a squad and we never gave up."

Will Umaga make Counties a top team this season? No.

Will he hold his own? Yes.

Will he add some spice to an ITM Cup that's lacking big names? Most certainly.

Auckland 33 (Tevita Mailau 2, Tom McCartney, Charlie Faumuina, Jamie Helleur tries; Ash Moeke 4 cons)

Counties 33 (August Pulu 2, Uini Antonio, Richie Ah Chong, Samisoni Fisilau tries; Baden Kerr 4 cons)

HT: 33-14

- © Fairfax NZ News