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Tahu finally sighted at Waratahs training
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Tahu finally sighted at Waratahs training - Rugby news & coverage - Stuff.co.nz
Timana Tahu trained with his teammates for the first time in six weeks today but the New South Wales Waratahs will be taking no risks with their prized recruit in the Super 14 rugby match against the Sharks on Saturday.
The dual international remains a 100-1 chance of starting in the Waratahs' key match, despite seemingly running freely with the squad for the first time since succumbing to a chronic hamstring injury last month.
Having played just three matches since his high-profile switch from the National Rugby League, Tahu is likely to make his comeback via the bench, with coach Ewen McKenzie desperate to avoid seeing the classy back break down again.
"You're wise enough to work out there's a couple of steps in all that (comeback) process and I'm just happy to see him back out on the field," McKenzie said.
"He's obviously getting pretty close. He's not doing the full session but he's out there having a run. That's a pretty positive sign."
Flanker Rocky Elsom is also close to a return and may even make a surprise appearance against the Sharks as the Waratahs look to complete a perfect home campaign and leapfrog the South Africans into second position on the table.
"Again, he's going pretty well. Obviously we know a lot more about Rocky. We're pretty confident he's on track," McKenzie said.
Elsom was unsighted at training today as he underwent another scan of his quadriceps injury.
Fellow Wallabies forward Dan Vickerman also sat out the session, but McKenzie quickly dispelled concerns the lock would miss Saturday's game.
"We're just managing his workload," McKenzie said.
"Dan Vickerman carries the highest workload for us. He makes more impact, he makes more tackles, he hits more rucks than anyone else in the team - and probably anyone else in the competition almost.
"So he doesn't need to train every training session. He's fairly important to us, so it's just a matter of planning our way through and making sure he's okay."
The third-placed Waratahs are unbeaten in five games at the Sydney Football Stadium this season and are intent on maintaining their unblemished record before finishing with a tough two-match tour of South Africa and trip to Queensland to take on the Reds.
Success against the Sharks would probably leave the Waratahs needing to win two of their last three games to secure a top-two finish and home semifinal.
But Australian test prop Matt Dunning said it was vital the Waratahs players did not to get ahead of themselves.
"It would be great to get a home final, definitely," Dunning admitted.
"But all we've done so far is put ourselves in a position to get a home final. We've by no means got it yet. There's still a lot of football to be played before then. There's still semifinals to make."
Scott Johnson was an interested observer at Waratahs training, raising speculation that the former Wallabies assistant coach may be in the running to succeed MacKenzie next season.
Johnson recently signed up to coach the United States but it is understood he has a clause in that contract which could free him up for the Waratahs job.
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