SUPER 14 - Ranger looking for a happier break

After an action-packed start to his Super-14 career, Northland and Blues wing Rene Ranger is aiming to carry on where he left off next week after being forced to miss tomorrow's match against the Sharks.
Ranger is gutted to have missed his first opportunity to play for the Blues in front of their home crowd at Eden Park but must wait until his fractured eye socket has completely healed.
"It was pretty sore the first week but it's much better now and I'm back into training but sitting out the contact parts," he said.
The injury, sustained in round two during the Blues' only defeat in their three-match tour against the Bulls, has almost healed but Ranger sees the injury as a setback.
"Injuries, and then trying to earn your spot back in the team, are the two toughest things about the game right now," he said.
Ranger now has to displace All Blacks Joe Rokocoko and Isaia Toeava if he wants to get back into the starting line-up.
"As soon as they got back, I thought to myself, 'Sweet, I've got to try and push these two out', which is going to be pretty hard but I am looking at it positively and I'm hoping to start next week," he said.
The fourth wing picked in the side, Rudi Wulf - another All Black - is still three weeks away from fitness with an injured hamstring.
If Ranger was a little quiet in his first match against the Western Force, he made up for it with a headline-grabbing second match. Ranger scored his first try, out-played his opposite - Springbok winger Bryan Habana - and then caught a knee in the eye from a Bulls forward.
The attention continued after the game, when he was cited for a high tackle and suspended for a week. The Northland utility put it down to a bad tackle.
"I thought it was all right, the hit of the contact was on his chest but it looked bad because there was some whiplash and maybe it slid up a bit after that," he said.
Ranger said the Blues coaches had tried to defend the tackle at the hearing but he still received a week's stand-down though with the injury, little was lost.
All in all, it was a pretty interesting start to his Super-14 career.
"I've loved touring, the Blues are a great bunch of boys and they've all really helped me out, especially in Pretoria and Cape Town because it's a very different atmosphere over there," he said.
Ranger has received some good feedback from his efforts in the first two games from Blues coaching staff and said the feeling in the camp at the moment is good.
Although the squad has struggled with a significant injury toll, there is a positive feeling about tomorrow's game. Ranger said coach Pat Lam hopes to continue on with the same kind of plan that saw them beat the Stormers.
"With the South African sides all being big boys, the message has been to be aggressive around the ruck area and be structured with our moves because that's the way they play," he said.
But for Ranger the game can't come and go quickly enough. "I'm looking forward to the Albany game because I'll be able to get my family and all my mates down from Wellsford to watch the game," he said.
"All I want is some good ball and then I'll just do my thing."
The Blues team for the match against the Sharks is: Isaia Toeava, Paul Williams, Anthony Tuitavake, Jamie Helleur, Joe Rokocoko, Jimmy Gopperth, Taniela Moa, Chris Lowrey, Onosa'i Auva'a, Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Kurtis Haiu, John Afoa, Keven Mealamu (captain), Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Tom McCartney, Tevita Mailau/Charlie Faumuina, Jay Williams, Josh Blackie, Chris Smylie, Michael Hobbs, Winston Stanley.