Rugby: Halfback finally gets chance at rep start

By Chris Rattue

Robb "Bolt" Graham will finally get a start in a national championship rugby match nearly a decade after making the Counties Manukau squad.

Steelers coach Mac McCallion's decision to rest halfback Danny Lee as a precaution because of a rib injury has given the 29-year-old Graham his chance against Wellington at Athletic Park today.

Graham's first taste of representative rugby came when he sat on the bench for an Andy Dalton-coached Counties team at the beginning of the 90s, and he had non-championship appearances as a replacement for the Ross Cooper-coached side in 1994.

In and around that he has tasted sevens success, winning a national title with Counties, been to a couple of national sevens camps, had a season with Brothers in Brisbane, and along with his brother Reon played in this year's Hong Kong sevens for Croatia, who nearly upset New Zealand (their grandfather is Croatian).

Graham, who started with Patumahoe and now plays for Manurewa, got the call-up on Monday. That meant a rapid reintroduction to representative football for Graham, who did not play in the warm-up games or first two NPC rounds.

"Mac usually carries just one halfback and I didn't even know there was an injury problem until Monday," said Graham yesterday.

"All I can say is that I'm really looking forward to it and I just want to get out there and try and play my way into the side."

Graham got the nickname "Bolt" from a Kangaroo court where he was in the dock for failing to carry out some team transport duties.

As a non-drinker of alcohol, he is often the driver but sometimes tires of the role.

"I get impatient and just take off, leaving them wherever they are, so people started calling me bolt a few years ago," he said.

Graham will need to form an instant link with first five-eighths Blair Feeney. The return of loose forward Hare Makiri, who missed the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato because of injury, will help to compensate for the loss of prop Lee Lidgard, whose career is threatened by a back injury.

However they will also be without test reserve Jonah Lomu, who was in a storming mood in the mud against Waikato.

Wellington's English prop Kevin Yates is unlikely to play because of a hamstring injury, with Murray Driver on standby. But if Yates does play, Driver will drop out of the 22, with coach Graham Mourie saying reserve prop Kepi Faivaai is more versatile.

Wellington are missing their dangerous back trio of Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga and Alama Ieremia, although the return of midfield back Norm Broughton - who will play despite an Achilles problem during the week - brought instant results against North Harbour after the Eden Park disaster.