KEY POINTS:
When form dipped and the Hurricanes needed a reliable goalkicker, halfback Piri Weepu obliged.
When they needed a playmaker, again because others' form fell away, Weepu obliged again. This time it perhaps cost him a place in the All Blacks World Cup squad.
Yesterday, as coach Aussie McLean
tried to beat his Wellington team into a tighter unit for Saturday's Air NZ Cup final against Auckland, Jimmy Gopperth was sidelined with a thigh muscle problem and Weepu was back at first five-eighths to direct play during training.
With second five-eighths and captain Tamati Ellison ruled out of the game with a fractured eye socket, Weepu also assumed the captaincy of the Wellington team.
Weepu is unlikely to take Gopperth's place this week, as he did in the Hurricanes side during the late stages of the Super 14 season, because the first five-eighths' injury is deemed only slight and he is sure to start in the final.
"He [Gopperth] could have trained today but he doesn't know how to go slow, so we've taken him out," McLean said. "He's okay."
With Ellison out, McLean may need Weepu to shift positions during Saturday's game if further injuries strike but at this stage he will be the halfback, and captain.
Weepu isn't complaining about his switch to first-five for the Hurricanes earlier but he was bitterly disappointed when he missed the World Cup squad after every indication pointed at him being one of the three halfbacks for France.
He was told by unofficial sources that playing out of position for longer than expected had cost him a World Cup place.
But that's water under the bridge for Weepu and he's looking forward to helping Wellington reverse an ugly trend - losing in the finals.
"We've just got to have the right attitude," said Weepu yesterday.
"We've got to make sure the boys are in the right frame of mind. If everyone accepts his responsibility there's no reason why we should be disappointed later."
After winning the national provincial championship in 2000, Wellington have failed at three finals - 2003, 2004 and last year when they were beaten 37-31 by Waikato.
Weepu said Auckland would be their toughest opponents this season because they hadn't met this season, Auckland were the form team of the competition they wanted to maintain their unbeaten record, they were playing at home and were after the Ranfurly Shield-Air NZ Cup double.
McLean went even further, saying Auckland were a mature combination now.
"They're playing a brand of rugby that's exciting and they allow their players to express themselves, they're quite systematic as well.
"I think they've attacked the gain line all year, whereas in previous years they used wide-to-wide tactics and really weren't so difficult to defend as they are now.
"They're much more difficult to defend because they mix their game up now. They're quite mature and methodical. You've just got to see their performance in the wet last week to see that they adapt to the conditions superbly and play a brand of football that's probably, I would say, is not natural to them but are good at."
As far as his own team is concerned, McLean said: "One of the most important things about rugby [is] enjoyment, and you'll find that if you're enjoying your work, you perform better."
- NZPA