Lomu believes he's ready for 'full comeback'

Jonah Lomu at his new club. David Rogers / Getty Images

Jonah Lomu is delighted to be thrown straight into the Cardiff Blues starting line-up for Sunday morning's (NZT) Heineken Cup rugby match against Italian side Calvisano.

The former All Blacks winger, who has had a kidney transplant, hasn't played since he suffered a shoulder injury in Martin Johnson's testimonial match in June.

He is in Wales on a short-term deal in an effort to return to rugby, win a New Zealand contract and an eventual All Blacks recall.

"It's great to be thrown in, the Blues have put out a challenge and I've got to make sure I do the job," Lomu told BBC Sport Wales today.

"All the coaches at the Blues have been great, their loyalty and belief mean a lot.

Lomu said he had spent weeks training for the game and now had to make the most of the opportunity.

He said he had fitted into the Blues team as if he has always been part of them and was ready to repay coaches' faith in him.

Although delighted to be back, it is clear that a club game in Italy barely scratches the surface of the giant wing's burning ambition.

"Digging through the pain barrier time after time breeds mental toughness.

"Mentally, I know I'm there and physically I'm not too far off."

Lomu said wanted to play regularly in the northern hemisphere to ensure that he would be ready for the next NPC when he returned home.

"I got a taste of the World Cup, reaching the final in 1995 and the semifinal in 1999.

"But that's left something missing in my life, it's about finishing a dream and winning a World Cup."

Lomu said he wasn't even thinking about what if he failed to make a comeback.

"I've already reached a level people never thought I would get to again. Saturday is just the start of the new Jonah."

It had been thought he would feature on the bench this weekend and then make a full Blues debut when Calvisano visited the Arms Park next weekend.

But Lomu, 30, had done enough to impress Blues head coach David Young and he will start in his familiar number 11 jersey.

He is hoping to resurrect a career which saw him become the sport's biggest star at 19 when he was player of the tournament at the 1995 World Cup.

The following year he was struck down by illness that forced him to have a kidney transplant.

He made a comeback in England World Cup-winning captain Johnson's testimonial match at Twickenham in June but injured a shoulder and has been out since then.

Lomu, who scored 37 tries in 66 tests, made his last international appearance for the All Blacks three years ago against Wales at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

After his spell with Cardiff, he plans to return to New Zealand next year with a view to securing an NPC and Super 14 contract and ultimately play for the All Blacks again.

Cardiff will also welcome back Lomu's former All Blacks colleague Xavier Rush, who has recovered from a shoulder operation.

- NZPA