Umaga's retirement was settled over a year ago

When Tana Umaga hobbled off Eden Park midway through the second half last week, he sparked plenty of elbow nudging in the crowd.

His early retreat was proof to many that the great man has lost his passion for the game now that he has retired from test duty.

The fact his replacement, Ma'a Nonu, made an immediate impact and also started last night's game at second-five while Umaga nursed a strained calf, has hardly dampened belief that the 74-test All Black is seeing out his contract with no fire in his belly.

But anyone tempted to buy into that school of thought should quickly review Umaga's career. Half-hearted has never been his style. He's an all-or-nothing man.

He's also fiercely loyal to Wellington and the Hurricanes which is why it pains him that in 10 years of service he only has one NPC winners' medal in the cabinet.

Umaga has set his sights on capturing a Super 14 title before he retires from all rugby in 2007.

He has known for more than a year that he would start the 2006 season free of test commitments, having first alerted the All Black coaching staff in November 2004 that he would only serve another 12 months as All Black captain.

Umaga, All Black vice-captain Richie McCaw, head coach Graham Henry and his assistants Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen had gathered to review the season and plan for the historic year that loomed.

Umaga was adamant they had better start planning for life without him as he was going to retire at the end of the UK Grand Slam tour.

By then Umaga would be nearer 33 than 32. By then he knew he would want to call it quits. He'd seen enough hotel rooms, sampled enough business class hospitality and spent enough time away from his family to know he would be over test football by then.

He also knew, given his age, that knives lurked. An indifferent 80 minutes would have the talkback lines ringing - "over the hill" they would say, "time for him to go".

Umaga had seen others take 10 years to build glorious reputations that took barely 10 minutes to be destroyed. He didn't want that. He wanted to go on his terms, leaving them wanting more.

He wasn't ready, though, to give it all up. Freed of the demands of being an All Black, the Hurricanes and Lions could be his sole focus. It hadn't escaped his notice that his All Black predecessor, Reuben Thorne, had found a second wind with Canterbury and the Crusaders after being removed from office.

The All Black coaches had a different vision, though. They could see Umaga crowning it all with a World Cup victory in 2007. He was in great physical shape and, with some careful management, they were confident the skipper could get to France in the right sort of form.

In May last year they stated senior players, including Umaga, would only play a limited role in the Tri Nations.

The focus was the Lions and end-of-season tour - the big guns would keep their powder dry for those tests.

But once the Lions had been sent packing, Umaga reiterated his desire to call it quits at the end of the year. He made it clear that sitting out certain tests held no appeal. Nor did he like the proposal that in 2006 he avoid the South African leg of the Super 14 and sit out the whole of the NPC.

No one, not even Sir Brian Lochore, could persuade him to reconsider. The test against Scotland in Edinburgh on November 26 would be his last. Ironically, if the All Blacks had suffered a difficult year, maybe Umaga could have been persuaded to stay on.

But when Scotland were defeated and the Grand Slam secured alongside the Tri Nations, Bledisloe Cup and Lions series, Umaga could see he would be exiting at the perfect time.

Once he got back from the UK tour he told Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper he didn't want to be skipper. Cooper, like the All Black coaches, had a crack at forcing a rethink.

When Cooper realised he was wasting his time, he emphasised that he still needed Umaga to front up every week. There would be no picking and choosing which games he would play.

Cooper didn't need to labour the point - he had Umaga at hello. Umaga is where he wants to be and knows what he wants to achieve.

His own legacy is secure. Now his mind is focused on helping the Hurricanes and Wellington command their own space in history.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY