Rugby: Counties counting on Vaipulu

Counties No8 Maama Vaipulu has been one of the best forwards in the ITM Cup. Photo / Getty

The Counties Manukau Steelers will be hoping No 8 Maama Vaipulu's heavily strapped left wrist will free up for him to play on Saturday against North Harbour.

The 26-year-old has been consistently the best forward for the province in an uneven first half of the ITM Cup. He is posting some impressive numbers - No 2 in competition carries behind only Auckland's George Moala and No 2 (with 22) in most defenders beaten, according to Opta Stats.

Vaipulu has a contract with the Chiefs for 2016, and is playing like a man free of the burden of having to prove he is up to fulltime rugby.

"I'm not relaxed, though. Super Rugby is that step further, but you still have to work hard and not button off in games.

"I took what I could from the Chiefs environment and try and make it work with ITM Cup," he says, after 10 games with the Chiefs, a handful for his beloved Pukekohe club, and now he is surely one of the first written down on Tana Umaga's team sheet.

Even when the chips have been down, in the home crossover losses to Championship unions Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty, Vaipulu finds a way over that gain line.

"It's hard, we're not getting the ball we are used to getting, though I'm happy with the way things are truckling along. But it can get better."

Vaipulu is the senior statesman of the Steelers pack, closing in on 40 games, and he is happy to take that leadership role in a very young squad, which lacks little for talent but needs to sharpen its decision-making under pressure.

He may well mark another strong ball-carrying Tongan, Hapakuki Moala-Liava'a, in Albany, and will need to keep the young turk quiet.

"You can't afford to button off against any side in the competition. They all come with their threats. We'll try and take care of that early in the piece rather than leave it to the end," Vaipulu says.

There are a raft of good Steelers loosies seeking game time and starts, but Umaga needs little reminding of the value offered by Vaipulu.

"He's been with us awhile and I put it on him, when he plays well, guys follow. I couldn't ask much more of him," Umaga said.

You may wonder why Vaipulu is not in England preparing for Rugby World Cup with Tonga. That may still happen one day.

"There were some whispers here and there, but that ended pretty quick. I've still got some unfinished business here. I'll stick around and hopefully things open up further down the track and I'll be able to grab it with both hands."