KEY POINTS:
Dynamic on the field, debut All Blacks centre Richard Kahui hopes being more sensible off it will exorcise the injury demons that have bedevilled his rugby career.
The 23-year-old's selection in place of Conrad Smith for Saturday night's second test against England has caused a stir for two reasons - the good form of Smith and the sheer lack of rugby for Kahui.
Coach Graham Henry's references in the past to Kahui suggest his chance would have come earlier than Saturday at AMI Stadium were it not for the regular breakdowns of the past 18 months.
Two injuries which Kahui admits he hasn't handled well have been the main culprits, restricting his appearances for the Chiefs to just 19 games, including eight this season.
The first was a shoulder tear at the start of last year that required a reconstruction.
"It took four or five specialists and five or six visits to sort out what it was," he said.
"It came back and hurt again and came back again. Whereas if I sorted it out the first time, it would have been out of the way."
It was the same with an ankle injury early this season which he never shook off and dogged him throughout the Chiefs' campaign.
It eventually forced him out in a round 12 match against the Western Force in Perth, his departure partly explaining their late-season slump.
"Injury management has been the worst thing for me," he said.
"In the future I'll probably be a bit more professional about it. If it means taking an extra two weeks off, it saves four or five months of heartache."
Kahui reserved praise for veteran Waikato and Chiefs locks Jono Gibbes and Keith Robinson, the injury-prone pair who were constant companions on the physio table and recuperating at the gym.
Their deeds and words had been inspirational.
"They let you know there was light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"On days that you didn't feel like getting out of bed, if it was five months away until I could play, they were just good at keeping me positive and keeping me interested.
"They're guys who have been in that horrible place when you're injured."
Having not played for seven weeks, Kahui was anxious about his match fitness but hoped raw excitement would get him through.
"Saturday night will probably be one of the better experiences of my life," he said .
"I feel good, I feel like I've been training really well so mentally and physically I think I'm in the right place.
"At times it seems pretty unrealistic that you're going to be one of the 1075 All Blacks. Being named in the All Blacks was huge and now to actually run onto the field and sing the anthem and do the haka - it's going to probably be really emotional."
Kahui, who will link out wide with another debutant in winger Rudi Wulf, becomes the eighth player to start at centre in Henry's coaching reign.
- NZPA
