Rugby: McCartney in hooker role

Tom McCartney played mostly at prop for the Blues this season but reverts to hooker for Auckland's ITM Cup side today. Photo / Getty Images

Tom McCartney will be seen in more familiar territory during the ITM Cup but it doesn't mean his propping career is on hold.

The 25-year-old has been a bit-part player at the Blues since making his Super Rugby debut in 2008. That's mostly down to the presence of Keven Mealamu, regarded by many as being in a close tussle with Bismarck du Plessis for the title of world's best hooker.

McCartney played in all 15 games for the Blues this season but eight of those were for 11 minutes or less and he made only one start, against the Stormers.

Most of his 371 minutes was spent at prop but McCartney will start for Auckland in the more familiar role of hooker against Canterbury at Eden Park today.

It's a position he will play for most of this year's ITM Cup but that is largely because of the strength and depth at prop and paucity of hookers without Mealamu on deck.

Prop is not an unfamiliar position for McCartney. He spent his formative years there before being converted to a hooker about four years ago and often props for his club side Pakuranga.

Auckland coach Mark Anscombe first played McCartney at prop in last year's ITM Cup and it's something Blues coach Pat Lam continued.

"At this stage we still see him as a hooker but a lot of his skill set suits being a prop - and that could very well be where his best opportunities come," said Anscombe, clearly mindful that Mealamu will remain at the Blues until at least the end of the 2013 season.

"I think Tom's an outstanding footballer with a great attitude. If he's going to go to the next stage as a prop, we have to give him that window for him to put a bit more weight on.

"He does a good job now but if he was going to become a prop day in, day out he would need to put a bit more size on him so he can survive the battles of it game after game."

Earlier this season he was listed at 104kg and now he's closer to 109kg. He's a renowned fitness fanatic but won't do anything to compromise his ability to play hooker in the meantime or his ability and work rate around the park.

"I have been working a little extra to put on more weight but I'm not going to go out there and turn into a body builder because I want to play prop," he said. "The way the game is heading now, the props aren't necessarily big guys. Instead, they are really mobile.

"Personally I really enjoy both [positions]. They both have their advantages. Being able to play prop this year has enabled me to get on the field a lot more. Otherwise I would have been sitting on the bench behind Keven, which is how it's going to be when he's there. Getting on the field is all I'm interested in, really."

There have been others who have tried to convert from one front row position to another, with limited success, but it's normally been from prop to hooker. John Afoa dabbled with the All Black selectors' idea of being able to cover hooker but that idea has been canned. Aled de Malmanche also moved from prop to hooker. He played five tests for the All Blacks but his lineout throwing became a liability.

Springbok captain John Smit was originally a prop who became a hooker and he's occasionally reverted back to the side of the front row in recent years.

McCartney's dual role means a fair amount of extra work He needed to train with the Blues assuming Mealamu would be missing, which meant he needed to know and practise every lineout variation, on top of spending time as a lifter and scrummager.

But now he knows Mealamu will be missing and it provides a lot more certainty.