Nerve woes rule Lomu out of NPC contention

The waiting game for Jonah Lomu's return to onfield action finally ended last night.

Lomu has pulled out of Wellington's NPC squad for the remainder of the season.

His manager, Phil Kingsley Jones, said Lomu, who has not set foot on an NPC field this season, was suffering foot problems relating to his kidney dialysis treatment.

"The dialysis treatment is going well but the veins in his feet are struggling to cope with the blood flow," Kingsley Jones said.

That led to nerve problems in the 63-test veteran's feet, and calf-muscle strains.

* Bay of Plenty's slip from fifth to ninth in the space of 80 minutes in Wellington last weekend has not counted them out of the reckoning for an Air New Zealand NPC first-division semifinal.

Just eight points cover the first nine teams and the Bay will be bargaining on picking up at least four, and preferably five, from their game against bottom-placed Northland tomorrow night in Rotorua to keep them in the semifinal frame.

They are home to Auckland, away to Waikato - in what could yet become their second tilt at the Ranfurly Shield this season - and away to buoyant Southland in their remaining games.

But coach Vern Cotter is not setting his sights too far ahead.

"We're just focused on the Northland game. If we can get a positive result then we can sit back and reassess things."

Three changes have been made to the side who lost 33-13 at the Cake Tin last Saturday night. Damon Kaui is back at fullback, with Apoua Stewart reverting to the wing in place of Todd Blythe; Grant McQuoid replaces Dale Rasmussen at second five-eighths; and Nili Latu is back from injury at No 7 in place of Rodney Voullaire.

Northland, six points adrift at the tail of the ladder, must win in Rotorua if they are to have a chance of avoiding the promotion-relegation game.

They still have a trip to Eden Park and home games against Otago and Wellington to come but time is running out.

Bay of Plenty: Damon Kaui, Anthony Tahana, Alan Bunting, Grant McQuoid, Apoua Stewart, Glen Jackson, Kevin Senio, Clayton McMillan, Nili Latu, Wayne Ormond, Bernie Upton, Mark Sorenson, Ben Castle, Aleki Lutui, Simms Davison. Res: Ngarimu Simpkins or Troy Davey, Taufa'ao Filise, Paul Tupai, Andrew Leota, Kyle O'Brien, Ray MacDonald, Dale Rasmussen.

Northland: Jared Going, Fero Lasagavibau, Norm Berryman, Josh Levi, Matt Faleuka, James Arlidge, Lee Peina, Lee Jones, Tu Tamarua, Mose Tuiali'i, Glenn Taylor (capt), Brad Taylor, Tim Knight, Tim Dow, Bronson Murray. Res: Jason Hammond, Ted Carew, Luke Ottley, Willie Brame, Sam Payne, Jason Schoemark, Manu Burkhardt-McRae.

* North Harbour, on a mini-roll after back-to-back wins against Wellington and Northland, have made two changes for their game against Otago at Carisbrook on Saturday.

South African Greg Rawlinson returns from injury in place of Blair Larsen at lock and Hosea Gear does a swap with Karl TeNana, who goes from the wing to the bench.

North Harbour: Tusi Pisi, Hosea Gear, Anthony Tuitavake, Andrew Mailei, Rudi Wulf, Nick Evans, Chad Alcock, Ron Cribb (capt), Matua Parkinson, Craig Newby, Greg Rawlinson, Marty Veale, Tevita Taumoepeau, Joe Ward, Tony Woodcock. Res: Slade McFarland, Peter Bielski, Blair Larsen, Troy Flavell, Ben Meyer, Karl TeNana, Dan Parkinson.

NPC points table