Enough on speargate, says Umaga

Tana Umaga

With a firm stare, All Blacks captain Tana Umaga officially called a halt to "speargate" yesterday and turned his attention towards topping an already memorable year.

After weeks of build-up, excessive verbal jousting and continued accusations of cold-blooded foul play, Umaga cried "enough" as the countdown continued to the test against Wales on Sunday.

"That's all been dealt with. I don't want to help him sell his book any more," Umaga said of injured Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll.

Having dominated the week of the All Blacks' arrival in Britain for their Grand Slam attempt, the spear tackle saga from the first Lions test in June may have at last given way to talk about the pivotal tour-opening test at Cardiff.

The cold stare could have been vaguely similar to the one Umaga delivered before the second test against the Lions, a game the All Blacks dominated 48-18 after the integrity of their captain was questioned.

Could the timing of the renewed snipes be bad news for Wales ahead of the 100th anniversary of tests between the two great rivals?

Umaga said that after all the off-field drama and the long wait for the tour, he could not wait to enter the comparative sanctuary of 75,000 baying Welsh fans at Millennium Stadium.

"You have to put those distractions aside - if I carried all that on my shoulders I don't think I'd make it out there.

"I've already done that and I don't think it'll be a problem on Saturday.

"It doesn't really bother me because I know I can't do anything about it. That's something I learned pretty early - you can't control it."

The wait seems like years for Umaga, who rested after holding aloft the Tri-Nations trophy at Eden Park on September 4, playing just one match since - Wellington's NPC loss to Auckland last month.

After that game, Umaga admitted he felt well off the pace.

Although the All Blacks have marched through a Lions series and Tri-Nations while Wales' season has yet to get under way, rustiness could become an issue for the tourists.

Coach Graham Henry has gone for a measured preparation, the tough balancing act between match fitness and rest, but Umaga is adamant he is cherry-ripe for his 72nd test and 19th as captain.

"I feel really good. We've done things differently than we would have done in the past to combat that time off."

That has included seven-a-side matches and wrestling bouts to keep up the physical conditioning.

Training sessions have been limited to three on tour so far - two among the rolling valleys at Glamorgan University and a two-hour indoor session yesterday.

Wales are Six Nations champions, achieved the Grand Slam and are on a seven-match winning streak this year, although Sunday's contest has had some gloss removed due to the absence of six frontline players.

But Umaga will take any win over Wales at Cardiff, with the Grand Slam beckoning and the annoyance of being rested for the All Blacks' 26-25 Houdini escape at Millennium Stadium last year.

"Not playing last year, I was a little bit disappointed watching the game unfold like it did. It was such a tough game - actually, maybe I didn't want to play it ... "

Wales would try to run the ball a lot, "which is what got them their success in the Six Nations", Umaga said.

"Hopefully, it'll be a great game and they'll keep the roof closed."

And the prospect of a Grand Slam of wins against Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland?

"It'll be an amazing year if this gets done ...

"If the year had finished straight after the Tri-Nations I think the whole country would have been pretty happy. This will just add to it immensely."

- NZPA