Hewett signs two-year deal with Llanelli

Former All Blacks prop Dave Hewett will return to Welsh club Llanelli on a two-year deal after the completion of the Crusaders' Super 12 rugby campaign.

Hewett spent almost six weeks in South Wales late last year and played three games for the Scarlets -- the first time a Crusader has been released to play in the Northern Hemisphere during the off-season here.

The 33-year-old loosehead prop confirmed yesterday he would head back to Llanelli in July.

His departure will coincide with Crusaders and All Blacks halfback Justin Marshall's move to English club Leeds on a two-year contract.

Hewett said he had signed with Llanelli until June 2007 and will return there with his wife, Michelle, and their children.

He believed the time was right after seven seasons with the Crusaders.

"New Zealand has to be looking to the next stage of its life, from a rugby point of view," Hewett said.

"Justin's obviously picked up on that too. A lot of other players realise that while rugby in New Zealand is great, our careers are coming to the end of their paths here, in terms of our ages and the blooding of new players.

"So we need to look to new opportunities and the UK is a great place for that.

"We can still play and add something, hopefully, to the game through our experience, and then come back to New Zealand and provide something to the Crusaders and New Zealand rugby in years to come."

Hewett said he wanted to finish on a good note with the Crusaders.

A fifth Super 12 title would be "a fairy-tale end".

An All Black for the first time at 30 in 2001, Hewett played through to the 2003 World Cup but was not required last year by new coach Graham Henry.

He has played most of his professional career -- including the bulk of his 22 tests -- at loosehead prop, but he said Llanelli coach Gareth Jenkins wants him to play tighthead in Wales.

"They've got a couple of good looseheads there and they also want some help, from a mentoring point of view, because they've got some young guys coming through, similar to our academy set-up."

He has experience in the No 3 jersey for Canterbury and the Crusaders and said he was happy to make the transition, though he expected to play on the loosehead still for the Crusaders in the upcoming Super 12.

Hewett said British rugby was more physical at the breakdown.

"They tend to put a lot more players into the contact situation," he said.

"Whether that's right or wrong, is not for me to say. It's the way it's done there. Sometimes it needs to be done, I accept that, but sometimes it's overkill."

But the general approach was more directed around the setpieces and the breakdown.

Style differences would take a couple of games to adjust to, Hewett believed.

He said it was hard being placed in teams in the middle of the season when all the calls were made.

But he is looking forward to "being there at the start, when everything's created" for the next Llanelli campaign.

- NZPA