Howlett still in his prime

Doug Howlett is not taking the Wallabies lightly. Picture / Brett Phibbs

It's easy to think of Doug Howlett as one of the old soldiers in the All Black lineup for tomorrow night.

He has been recalled to the right wing for his 48th test after being overlooked since the first Lions test in June.

Perhaps it is more a reflection on how young he was when he broke into the All Blacks that he seems to have been round so long.

Then you realise he's just 26, only three players have scored more test tries, and he should be in his prime. He's younger, for example, than Rico Gear, the player who took his spot against the Lions, then held it for the Tri-Nations when Howlett was told to take a seat.

Now Howlett is back as Gear has gone off the boil, and he's feeling pretty chipper about it all.

"It's pretty exciting. It was a tough blow when I got dropped initially, first out of the playing XV to the reserves, then completely from the squad," he said.

It wasn't as if Howlett, who had a reasonable game against the Lions on a foul night in Christchurch, had suddenly become a dud. Used goods, thanks for coming and all that.

Rather, it's a pointer to the depth of wing talent in New Zealand.

Think of Gear, Joe Rokocoko - who did a better vanishing act than David Copperfield a few months ago - and Sitiveni Sivivatu, who came with a rush, scored a bunch of tries, picked up an injury in South Africa and, although good enough for Waikato in the NPC tonight, has fallen back in the pecking order.

Howlett bided his time with Auckland in the NPC, kept match-fit and will now square off against Lote Tuqiri at Eden Park.

He's enjoying what Auckland are trying to achieve in the NPC, where the emphasis is on getting the ball to a group of free-spirited, expansive-minded backs.

They have three wins from three and although things got a bit curly against Southland last Sunday, they sit on the top of the table.

"With the game plan Auckland have devised, it really suited what I personally am trying to achieve, and the team,"said Howlett.

"But being on the wing you are reliant on the 14 others inside. Sometimes you don't have a say in the ball you get, and you just have to make the best of it."

Howlett has been on the receiving end of the Australians often enough - he's had four wins and five defeats against them, scoring five tries (just don't mention Sydney, November 2003) - to give them respect despite their casualty-ward appearance.

"They are the type of nation who don't give up. Look at the Ashes series at the moment and how they fought their way out of that corner and almost won it [twice in the last three tests].

"They're in the same situation as their rugby team. And that's a dangerous situation for us."

Doug Howlett

* Scored in each of his first seven tests, from his debut against Tonga at Albany, 2000.

* His 36 test tries are bettered by only Christian Cullen (46), Jeff Wilson (44) and Jonah Lomu (37) and he sits equal with Tana Umaga.

* His back three partnership with Mils Muliaina and Joe Rokocoko will be together an All Black record 19th time.