Randle back after two-year absence

1.00pm

The last time Roger Randle played an NPC rugby match for Waikato he had Bruce Reihana, Deon Muir and Royce Willis as teammates.

That was two years ago and the other three are now plying their trade overseas.

But Randle, a former All Blacks wing, is back after a 17-month rehabilitation from a ruptured achilles tendon and then a torn calf muscle, taking his place on the Waikato reserve bench for tomorrow night's semifinal against Wellington in Wellington.

Randle is one of three players coming back from injury to take their place in the reserves tomorrow, the others being halfback Byron Kelleher and lock Dave Duley, while centre Richard Kahui, 19, will start on the left wing in place of the injured Sitiveni Sivivatu.

Waikato coach John Mitchell holds Randle up as a shining example of a professional rugby player in terms of how hard he has worked to get back.

"Most players would have given it away," Mitchell said.

Randle, 30, said it would have been easy to retire but his long layoff from the sport had renewed his hunger.

"At the time (the injury happened) I'd been involved in every Super 12 since the first one in 1996 and was getting a bit stale, a bit rugby-ed out, but this break has refreshed me," said Randle, who has scored 49 tries in 54 games for Waikato.

Mitchell said Kahui had finished last Saturday's match against Taranaki on the wing and he felt it was important to enter the Wellington game with the same group after the commitment shown in that match.

Waikato: Isaac Boss, Sosene Anesi, Keith Lowen, Derek Maisey, Richard Kahui, David Hill, Rhys Duggan, Steven Bates, Marty Holah, Liam Messam, Jono Gibbes (captain), Sean Hohneck, Deacon Manu, Scott Linklater, David Briggs.

Reserves: Jamie McQueen, Nathan White, Dave Duley, Josh Sole, Byron Kelleher, Stephen Donald, Roger Randle.

- NZPA

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