Umaga to wear captain's armband once more

Tana Umaga will wear the captain's armband once more when the Hurricanes play the Cheetahs in Sunday morning's (NZ time) Super 14 rugby match at Bloemfontein.

Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper has opted to fill the one-week gap left by suspended skipper Rodney So'oialo with Umaga, the former All Blacks and Hurricanes captain.

Cooper, who took more than a day to mull over his leadership options, decided against introducing a younger captain while So'oialo served his one-match ban.

"It was whether we named a captain for the now or were we looking to the future by giving one of our young leaders the captaincy role," Cooper told NZPA.

"The game is going to be a big game and we certainly want to start our tour off well so we've decided to go with Tana.

"It's a seamless change. He's our most experienced player, and with the first week in Africa and the competition the Cheetahs will give us, it just added up that it should be Tana."

Umaga had sought a lower profile this year in announcing his retirement from the All Blacks and passing the skipper's duties to So'oialo.

Cooper managed to talk him around this week.

"He probably would have preferred the low profile but it's about what's best for the team and Tana understands that," he said.

"He's just working with us with whatever we want. I wanted him to be the captain -- he's the captain."

So'oialo has been replaced at No 8 by Thomas Waldrom while suspended lock Paul Tito has been replaced by flanker Jerry Collins, with Luke Andrew shuffling into lock.

In the backs, Isaia Toeava makes way for Shannon Paku at fullback while first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth returns in place of David Holwell.

Cooper stressed Toeava was being rested and was not injured, as team management had reported yesterday.

- NZPA