KEY POINTS:
Tasesa Lavea has every reason to feel good about himself when he runs out at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night. There were those who muttered when the former Blues No 10 was drafted into the Chiefs squad for the Super 14, wondering how he would fit into their pattern.
He'd had ups and downs at the Blues and Auckland in the last year or so. And, when he damaged a medial ligament during a short replacement stint in the opening match against the Brumbies, he probably thought someone up above had it in for him.
But he returned at second five-eighths in the Chiefs first win, a resounding five-try thumping of the Lions at Hamilton last week, and will resume his connection with first five-eighths Stephen Donald against the Reds tomorrow.
"It was a step in the right direction," Lavea said of the Lions match. "I was a bit nervous, but I was happy with the outcome and the way my body came out of it. Things are good."
When he was waiting out four matches, plus the bye round, Lavea refused to bemoan his misfortune. "When you get injured, don't dwell on the bad side. I just try and be as positive as much as I can. It's too easy to get down on yourself. So I took it on the chin, followed the procedures the medical staff had given me and tried to get back as quickly as I could."
The former Kiwis international and NRL player at the Storm and the Sea-Eagles had made 19 Super rugby appearances for the Blues, predominantly at first five. But when Chiefs coach Ian Foster lined him up, Lavea knew he'd probably wear No 12. A fresh challenge in a new environment.
Putting Donald and Lavea together gives the Chiefs two kickers - and Lavea's out-of-the-hand kicking against the Lions was excellent - and two passing options. Lavea liked that he did not need to go out and call the plays in his first game back.
"I just fed information in to Stephen and I felt a lot more composed rather than having the team on your shoulders and trying to make everything happen."
Foster liked what he saw from the pair. "I don't think anyone's saying it was perfect and there are obvious areas for improvement," he said. "But some of those are largely related to Tasesa being out for the first part of the campaign and getting his rugby legs going again.
"I think he's building into the season physically and may still be a couple of weeks off his best. In saying that, the combination and variety it brought was important."
Respect is also important to the 27-year-old from Taihape. He knew he needed to gain it from his peers and he'd put pressure on himself to perform up to high standards.
A solid performance tomorrow should mean Lavea holds his place against the Blues in the big showdown in Hamilton next week.
Mate against mates. But there's no hard feelings about getting the axe from this season's Blues. He's delighted for them in what they have achieved in sitting second.
They are his friends and if there's a trace of desire to prove Blues coaches David Nucifora and Joe Schmidt wrong in overlooking him, it's well hidden.
"I don't need to prove anything to those guys or the coaching staff. I just need to prove to myself I'm capable of playing against them, and hopefully helping us beat them."
Lavea is enjoying his new rugby home. He's still living in South Auckland and commuting for training. That means plenty of driving. But he likes that, too.
"It's not too far and I enjoy the drive there and back. It gives me time to myself, time to think. But I hate it when the petrol price goes up," he laughed.
