Alaimalo’s wait is over Chiefs fullback ‘hissing’ at chance to face Crusaders
He doesn’t like watching on from the sidelines at the best of times, so seeing his team’s Super Rugby struggles has been an even more arduous ask for Solomon Alaimalo.
But this week, the wait is over for the 23-year-old, and his desperate Chiefs side.
Arguably the club’s best player last year, Alaimalo is ‘‘hissing and raring to go’’ as he returns from a pre-season wrist injury to take the No 15 jersey for the daunting trip to Christchurch to face the Crusaders.
The comeback of the 1.96m, 99kg wing/fullback coincides with his team being in a big rut, at 0-3 to start the season, and in search of some inspiration to get their campaign back on track.
Alaimalo played all but quarter of an hour of the Chiefs’ season last year – that’s how instrumental he was, in his second season at this level. A Super Rugby player of the year nominee at the New Zealand Rugby awards, his name was being touted as an All Blacks possibility such was his dynamic ability with ball in hand, exceptional work under the high ball, quality finishing, and general tidiness around the park.
Thoughts of jumping straight back into his work were stalled by ‘‘niggly’’ injury suffered in a hitout against the Blues in Waiuku on January 25, though, getting the news the next day he had an ulnar styloid fracture.
‘‘It was a bit of a bummer at the start of the season but it’s come along well,’’ said Alaimalo, who was in a splint for four weeks and missed being a part of full training. ‘‘A lot of the time I was just on the side running laps and stuff, and just trying to keep my fitness up,’’ he said.
Despite a starring 2018, Alaimalo said he’s been looking to add a couple of kilograms to his frame as he feels he can carry a bit more weight and still be comfortable with the way he plays, while another goal has been to get better at maintaining his speed.
‘‘The injury sort of was a blessing in disguise, just letting me get to focus on those two aspects,’’ he said, although still being gutted he couldn’t be helping out come game-time.
‘‘It’s always tough watching. Even if the team’s going well, I still don’t like watching anyway from the sideline, it’s quite hard seeing your brothers go out there and battle.’’
Along with Alaimalo’s return, the Chiefs welcome back a trio of All Blacks from a rest week – Nathan Harris, Nepo Laulala and Anton Lienert-Brown – while there’s also returns from injury for Tyler Ardron, Tumua Manu and Jack Debreczeni, with the latter set for his first game of the season too.
Alaimalo replaces Shaun Stevenson, while winger Ataata Moeakiola drops off the bench, with the Chiefs opting for the versatility of former Rebels playmaker Debreczeni, who has overcome an abdominal injury and will cover both first five-eighth and fullback.
In midfield, Lienert-Brown comes back at second five-eighth in place of Orbyn Leger, while Manu regains his spot at centre after being a late scratching with a groin niggle last weekend, which sees Alex Nankivell head
‘‘It’s quite hard seeing your brothers go out there and battle.’’
Solomon Alaimalo
to the bench.
There was one midweek blow to the pack, with lock Michael Allardice ruled out of contention after suffering a head knock at training on Wednesday.
His withdrawal sees Ardon named to start at lock, with the Canadian international having packed at No 8 in the first two matches before missing last weekend’s 30-15 defeat to the Sunwolves due to concussion.
In the front row, Harris and Laulala return to start, sending Samisoni Taukei’aho and Angus Ta’avao to the bench, with Bradley Slater and Sefo Kautai dropping out of the 23, while in the loose trio Lachlan Boshier is promoted back to start at openside, with Mitchell Karpik going to the reserves.