Lavea steps up as Ai'i looks to Japan

For a time Tasesa Lavea felt his path through Auckland rugby was barred by the similar rugby talents of Orene Ai'i.

The pair had duelled for age-group honours, but it was Ai'i who made it first to the senior ranks, persuading Lavea to leave rugby for life in the NRL.

While he flourished with the Melbourne Storm, Manly and the Kiwis, Ai'i had mixed success at sevens, NPC, Super 12 and NZA levels.

This week there was a different twist to the old theme. The Blues decided Lavea would replace Carlos Spencer as their first five-eighths backline director, as Ai'i worked through a deal that would allow him to continue his career in Japan.

Injuries and Spencer have restricted Lavea's Super 12 experience to a handful of games, but his time as an understudy will end on Saturday against the champion Brumbies at Eden Park.

After a poor opening four matches for the Blues, the selectors have lost patience with the fitful backline and decided to drop Spencer.

Bypassing him has been a rare occurrence in the side's history, although coach Peter Sloane tried a similar tactic in 2002 when he chose James Arlidge as first five-eighths for several matches.

He also switched Spencer to fullback, but it does not appear as though the 95-match veteran will get a similar reprieve when the team is announced tomorrow.

* The Sanzar hearing of Ali Williams' appeal against his six-week suspension for stamping was postponed from yesterday to today because of the late unavailability of South Africa's chairman, Jannie Lubbe. The other members are John Freedman (Australia) and Chris Morris (New Zealand).