Kelleher injury brings Senio back on radar

Kevin Senio

Until he wrecked his ankle last season, Kevin Senio was the hot whisper as a halfback for the All Blacks' end-of-year tour.

That murmur became reality yesterday when the 27-year-old was called up to join the Tri-Nations squad in Sydney as cover for the concussed Byron Kelleher.

Changes will have been contemplated by the coaching staff as the All Blacks made their long flight from South Africa after bending 22-16 against the Springboks.

Captain Tana Umaga is battling ankle ligament damage, and a few others struggled in the Newlands test. If Conrad Smith has recovered from illness, he will be lined up as cover for the skipper against the Wallabies, and Sitiveni Sivivatu will be needed if he has recovered from shoulder and leg damage.

Thought will also be given to retaining Leon MacDonald, Rodney So'oialo and Carl Hayman, with Mils Muliaina, Sione Lauaki and Greg Somerville handy alternatives.

And there will be questions about Keven Mealamu and Aaron Mauger, although the Wallabies offer less of a physical challenge than the Springboks.

The Wallabies have their own dramas. Fullback Chris Latham has a sore hamstring and with the absence of the injured Mat Rogers and Stephen Larkham, there are few replacement contenders.

Drew Mitchell, who has been pencilled in on one wing, may have to cover fullback with Clyde Rathbone on standby.

In Larkham's extended absence, Matt Giteau will play first five-eighths, with Morgan Turinui and Stirling Mortlock outside him.

Coach Eddie Jones has not decided if he will play opensiders George Smith and Phil Waugh or blindside flanker Rocky Elsom.

One All Black who excelled at Newlands was Piri Weepu. He sent out excellent passes, ran hard at the defence and looked more assured than many of his team-mates.

Senio has similar traits and has been promoted after lagging behind Weepu, Steve Devine and Jimmy Cowan on the Junior All Blacks trip.

The first All Black from Bay of Plenty since Hika Reid in 1986, Senio played little Super 12 as the understudy to Kelleher at the Chiefs and was called up to the Junior All Blacks only when Cowan was sent home from Australia for indiscipline.

Senio knew little of those circumstances or that Kelleher had been injured in South Africa.

"I did not watch the test," he said yesterday. "I don't have Sky and I was sore anyway after playing for the Bay against Toyota. Then I got a text from a mate saying Byron was hurt and not long after that Darren Shand [All Black manager] rang to say I should get to Sydney."

Springboks lock Victor Matfield last night escaped punishment at a judicial hearing into the tackle that concussed Kelleher. The Sanzar judicial committee chaired by Australian Michael Goodwin, and including South Africans Jannie Lubbe and Piet Nieman, cleared Matfield at a hearing in Cape Town.

"The committee determined that the referee had not made an error in his determination that the tackle was not dangerous, but it was the result of a collision between players in a dynamic and legitimate tackle situation," Goodwin said.

The All Blacks are scheduled to name their test selection tomorrow.

General optimism that a break after the Lions series would have the All Blacks fresh and primed for the start of the Tri-Nations was tweaked by the coaching staff after the loss.

The All Blacks were "rusty", said Graham Henry, and had tried to "push the boundaries a little too much", a fatal combination.

All those frailties which have inflicted various All Black regimes this century returned: the lack of clarity under pressure, the frivolous ball retention, the jittery decisions, the lack of momentum from the pack.

The questions are whether it will continue into Sydney 2005 and the Newlands XV will be given the chance to redeem themselves.

Much has been made of the need to broaden the player pool but it is unclear whether that policy will be activated this weekend.

In theory, the side which began at Newlands was the strongest available. The selectors have to balance that conclusion, injuries, the players' annoyance and revenge factor when they select the side to discover an elusive off-shore Tri-Nations victory.