Fekitoa’s future in his hands

Good things take time, at least that’s how All Blacks and Highlanders midfielder Malakai Fekitoa is treating the decision on his playing future.

Off contract with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the Dunedin-based Super Rugby franchise at the end of the year, the 24-year-old is in no rush to confirm his future.

‘‘I don’t have a timeframe,’’ Fekitoa said.

‘‘I let my management team do all the talking behind the scenes. For me, it’s about getting my game right and enjoying my rugby.’’

Fekitoa admitted interest from overseas clubs in nabbing his signature earlier this season, but played a straight bat when asked yesterday if negotiations with NZR had started.

‘‘I can’t say,’’ he said. ‘‘They have been around supporting me for a few years now, but like I said, I don’t do any talking. I’m focussing on being happy and getting excited every week, rather than stressing about it.’’

That’s the approach Fekitoa hopes will help him return to the form which catapulted him into the All Blacks on the back of an impressive debut season for the Highlanders in 2014.

But since helping the Highlanders win their first Super Rugby crown in 2015, Fekitoa hasn’t been the same player and was left battling for game time in the black

jersey during last year’s end-of-yeartour.

By his own admission, Fekitoa’s form has remained scratchy so far this season, but he believes his twotry performance against the Rebels last weekend could be a sign of things to come.

‘‘I’ve been learning over the last couple of games about what went wrong and how to get better,’’ Fekitoa said.

‘‘At the start of the season, I came in and I had a lot of excitement. I wanted to do everything for the team and I think I tried too much.

‘‘When things didn’t go my way, I tried to do more and obviously made more mistakes.

‘‘It didn’t go well and I dropped my head. Mentally, it wasn’t good. Obviously it showed on the field and that’s when the errors came in, dropped balls and all sorts.’’

Fekitoa will play his 56th game for the Highlanders in Dunedin tonight, when they host the Blues in an all-important New Zealand derby at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Not only will it give Fekitoa another chance to play against the team which didn’t want him four years ago, he could come up against Sonny Bill Williams - one of the many Kiwi midfielders scrapping for a spot in the All Blacks for winter’s British and Irish Lions tour.

Williams, who hasn’t played since rupturing his Achilles tendon during last year’s sevens campaign at the Rio Olympics, has been named on the bench in his return to rugby.

‘‘He’s a great athlete,’’ Fekitoa said. ‘‘He’s big, tall and skillful and he’s been around for a long time. He’s pumped to be out there playing, it will be hard to bring him down.’’

With dry conditions guaranteed, the match promises to be a better spectacle than the rain-sodden eyesore at Eden Park last month, won 16-12 by the Highlanders and no doubt promptly deleted off recording devices by even the most passionate fans.