Rugby: Umaga in doubt for opener

Tana Umaga. Photo / Getty Images

Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga is in doubt for Counties-Manukau's opening national provincial rugby match on Saturday.

Umaga, who returned to New Zealand last month after three years as a player/coach with French club Toulon, was battling the `flu and may struggle to play for his new province against Otago at Pukekohe.

Counties-Manukau coach Milton Haig said Umaga would be treated as a special case in terms of getting through the three-month campaign.

"He's 37 so we've got to be aware of how we manage him through the season. He won't play every game and every minute," Haig told NZPA.

"He knows his body better than everyone else and if he's right, he'll make that call. Hopefully he'll be right because on the field is where he has a real impact."

If Umaga is ruled out, it means the two headline acts of this year's championship will miss the opening weekend.

Another former Toulon centre, Sonny Bill Williams, is battling a knee complaint and the details his first start for Canterbury remain uncertain. The former rugby league star took part in contact training this week and may play club rugby on Saturday.

Meanwhile Haig couldn't speak highly enough of his assistant coach Umaga's impact at the struggling province.

"He had an influence on the team before he even set foot in the country," Haig said.

"He just gives the younger players confidence. You don't play nearly 300 first class games without having a reasonable amount of knowledge. He's imparting that on the players, just relaying his experiences and his expertise.

"And he's a pretty motivated person, Tana, he holds the bar pretty high and he expects people to get up to that bar rather than him lowering his standard."

- NZPA