Time for To’omaga-Allen to stand up

Sentiment won’t secure you any Super Rugby titles.

Tonight, Jeff To’omaga-Allen will become the 15th man to play 100 games for the Hurricanes. He’ll be the second prop, after Neemia Tialata, with hookers Andrew Hore and Dane Coles the other front-rowers to reach the mark.

But To’omaga-Allen’s last start wasn’t a good one. After month of being away with the All Blacks, but not playing, the 27-year-old produced a rather rusty performance in the Hurricanes’ 24-12 loss to the Brumbies. His reward was to be demoted to the bench for the next week’s clash with the Blues.

Everyone at the Hurricanes loves To’omaga-Allen. He’s a good guy, with good ethics, who wants to be the best player that he can. But the team has to come first.

‘‘He’s got no choice [but] to be better or he won’t be playing next week,’’ Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said, after naming To’omaga-Allen to start against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Which hasn’t been lost on the man himself.

‘‘It was a fair call, the coaches made the right decision. I didn’t perform against the Brumbies to my potential and I let myself down,’’ To’omaga-Allen said.

‘‘But I feel like getting another opportunity I have to prove [I’m worth] it, with the likes of big Bam [Ben May] and the other props on my heels. It keeps me on my toes and makes me want that position. I’ve always been one to earn the jersey, not ever be given it.’’

That’s why he’s so chuffed to get to this milestone.

‘‘When I first made my debut for this club [in 2012] I looked at the likes of Neemia Tialata, who was one of the only front-rowers to be in the hundred club for this club so I was like man, I want to get a hundred caps for this franchise.’’

Halfback TJ Perenara got to 100 games earlier this season, having made his debut alongside To’omaga-Allen in Cape Town in 2012.

‘‘Jeff and I, throughout our careers, have grown close together as friends, so I’ve got a lot of time and respect for the man that he is,’’ Perenara said.

‘‘Not just as a footy player, but as a person, too, and those values that he brings to our environment on and off the field are huge. So a lot of credit for the success we’ve had over the last few years can go to him.’’

Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Julian Savea and Brad Shields are others who’ve brought up 100 games for the Hurricanes in recent times. There’s also the injured Coles, who remains an important figure in the background, and May, who counts appearances for the Crusaders and Chiefs among his 100-plus Super games.