KEY POINTS:
Winger Doug Howlett admits he was disappointed to miss the cut when the All Black rugby selectors announced their reconditioning squad in December.
But while the protected 22 have been absent during the first half of the Super 14, Howlett has been turning on the form for the high-flying Blues.
He produced his most eye-catching performance of the season so far in the 41-14 defeat of the Lions in the Blues' last match before their bye last weekend.
His two-try haul, which took him level with Australian Joe Roff as Super rugby's most prolific try-scorer with 57, was complemented by a strong defensive effort.
Howlett today played down his contribution to the Blues' rise to second on the table ahead of their Eden Park clash with the struggling New South Wales Waratahs on Friday night.
"The team's been playing some of its best rugby for a long time," he said.
"As a consequence, we've managed to move the ball wide and I've had a bit of space to run."
While Howlett is on the brink of attaining a personal milestone, he said the try-scoring record wasn't uppermost in his mind.
"If it happens, it happens," he said.
"I'm not setting myself any targets or anything. I'm just as happy giving the last pass as scoring the try myself."
Howlett, 28, has made 55 test appearances, the last being in the one-point defeat to South Africa in Rustenberg in last year's Tri-Nations.
He missed the end-of-year Northern Hemisphere tour with a knee injury and then found himself left off the list of 22 All Blacks who underwent reconditioning.
"I think initially there was a bit of disappointment, but you cannot dwell on these things," he said.
"I just turned it around and used it as an opportunity to show what I can do in the first six weeks without the All Blacks around."
With the return of the reconditioned All Blacks a hot topic this week, Blues coach David Nucifora has opted to ease his quartet's reintroduction to the Super 14.
Hooker Keven Mealamu is the only one to make the Blues' 22-strong squad to face the Waratahs, and he will start on the bench.
The rugby that lock Ali Williams and prop Tony Woodcock will play this weekend will be at club level, while winger Joe Rokocoko is sidelined with an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, Howlett can sense alarm bells around the present form of the Waratahs, against whom he made his Super rugby debut as a Highlander 10 years and 97 matches ago.
NSW, semifinalists last year, are languishing second bottom on the table, having not won since round one.
Howlett said he was surprised by the Waratahs' dip in fortunes, "but that makes them a dangerous team for us".
"We were in that situation last year," he said.
"There's no better opportunity to prove yourselves to the fans than to topple one of the top two or three teams."
- NZPA
