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Lineout throwing, says new Chiefs hooker Hikawira Elliot, is just like shooting hoops.
And shooting hoops, as it happens, is something Elliot is pretty darn good at.
A Hawkes Bay and national representative basketballer as a teenager, he credits that background with helping him become the steadiest lineout
thrower on the domestic rugby scene.
Arguably the biggest prize on offer in the 2009 draft, Elliot was snapped up by the Chiefs after being squeezed out of the Hurricanes by Andrew Hore and Dane Coles.
Considering Elliot's impressive national championship campaign for the Magpies - and subsequent call-up to the All Blacks as a replacement for Hore on the European tour - the Hurricanes' decision to overlook him smacked of self-interest on the part of senior franchise partner Wellington.
Coles is a tremendous talent but it would be hard to argue that Elliot isn't the more developed player right now. Elliot impressed as Hore's back-up last season but, rather than expose Coles to the clutches of another franchise, the Hurricanes sent Elliot to the draft.
It was a decision the 23-year-old admits he wasn't initially thrilled with.
"I was a bit disappointed but it has been a positive move for me. I have more of a chance of getting genuine game-time up here."
How much paddock time he gets will depend on whether he wins the battle with Aled De Malmanche for the Chiefs' no 2 jersey. It is a battle Elliot, with his unerring lineout throwing and rampaging game in the loose, should win.
"I think it's come from the days where I used to play basketball," said Elliot of his lineout skills.
"Throwing is just like shooting hoops. That is all I think about when I'm throwing the ball in, the same sort of technique, the same sort of routine you go through."
It was that clear thinking and solid technique that allowed him to hit the mark with what was the biggest throw of his life, late on against Munster with the All Blacks trailing in the intimidating atmosphere of Thomond Park.
"I knew I had to do it for the wellbeing of the All Blacks," he says with a burst of laughter that hints at the extreme stress of the moment.
His wry statement is only part joke. Until Joe Rokocoko scored a last-gasp try, Elliot had faced going down in history as a famous All Blacks loser. "I did have that thought going through my mind but I had the confidence in the boys that we had on the park to score from anywhere."
Not selected for a test, the 18 minutes he played in that match as a replacement for Corey Flynn is the extent of his All Blacks experience to date. The lack of a test cap isn't something that bothers him.
"They were a pretty good 18 minutes. To wear that black jersey was just awesome."
Hore and Keven Mealamu, the All Blacks incumbent hookers, will both be 32 when the 2011 World Cup rolls around. Whether either or both can maintain their form in the intervening three seasons remains to be seen. If they don't, Elliot appears a leading candidate to step into their boots.
It is not something he dwells upon.
"I just try to focus on what I need to do to make the Chiefs a better team. If All Blacks selection comes after that then that's definitely a bonus.
"I was pretty happy with the way I played last year and if I can take that form into this first game against the Crusaders then I'll be pretty happy.
"Hopefully we can kick on this year and not be middle of the table like everyone expects us to be."
