Ranby keen to leave Chiefs on a high

Mark Ranby

Mark Ranby reckons he's leaving the Chiefs midfield in good young hands as he embarks on a new career in Japan.

The 28-year-old Ranby will play his 81st Super match if selected tomorrow for the home game against competition leaders the Waratahs on Saturday night. Then there's the final game against the Blues at Eden Park before he takes off to join an as-yet unnamed Japanese club.

"I'm pretty happy with the hand I've been dealt," Ranby said last night. "It's been extremely tough at times, but I've been able to bounce back and contribute and coaches kept wanting to pick me, which was great. I'll walk away with very fond memories."

Ranby, whose sole test appearance was as a replacement against Samoa at Albany in 2001, started in Super 12 rugby at the Hurricanes in 1997.

He's had his share of injury battles, notably two shoulder reconstructions which took him out of the 2003 and 2004 NPC campaigns with Waikato.

Now, with hard-charging Niva Ta'auso emerging as a formidable centre talent and other options like Dwayne Sweeney coming into the reckoning, Ranby, who also did Super rugby time with the Hurricanes, believes now is a good time to move to a fresh challenge.

"I feel it's a good time to go. It's not an easy decision to make, but I'm really excited about the opportunities I'll have over there.

"I've had 10 years at Super level and I'm really proud of what I've been able to achieve. Now it's a matter of moving into something new, walking through a new door."

He wants to be part of a Chiefs team which, although out of the Super 14 semifinal race, can end a season on a high.

"It's really important. The guys have always given everything they've got and we would be letting ourselves down if we didn't continue in the same vein, and it's a pretty exciting challenge this week at home against the competition leaders. It doesn't get any better than that, so there's still heaps to play for."

Ranby's club will be revealed in about a week.

Meanwhile, Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie is warning against underestimating his team's attacking prowess.

A defence which has conceded just 10 tries in 11 games has provided the foundation but only the Crusaders (40) and the Brumbies (36) have scored more than their 34 tries.

"Everyone is talking about how good our defence is but attack-wise we're running about second or third as well," he said. "We're not hopeless."

McKenzie said he wasn't among those wondering when a backline featuring the likes of Rogers, Sailor and fellow Wallabies Lote Tuqiri, Morgan Turinui and Chris Whitaker, not to mention Peter Hewat, the leading points scorer, would start clicking as a unit - because it already had.

"I don't think there's much more we can do," McKenzie said.

He's expected to name an unchanged side tomorrow from that which beat the Highlanders last week.