Lessons learned in horror year: Slade

RUGBY

Nathan Burdon in Dunedin Highlanders first five-eighth Colin Slade is looking forward to putting his annus horribilis behind him.

Consecutive broken jaws put paid to his debut season with the Highlanders in 2011, limiting him to just three games.

Despite that he was selected as Dan Carter’s backup in the World Cup squad, only to injure his groin during the quarterfinal against Argentina after Carter had hobbled out of the tournament with the same injury.

To cap things off, Slade finished the year with a hernia operation which has cancelled out his involvement in the Highlanders’ preseason and will probably keep him off the field until the second round home game against the Crusaders.

For a while there it wouldn’t have paid to stand next to Slade during a lightning storm.

If he’d handed you a Lotto ticket, you might as well have binned it.

‘‘Experience-wise I learnt a lot but it was certainly a tough year,’’ Slade said of his misfiring 2011 season.

‘‘Thankfully I’m the other side of it now and ready to get into another season. You go through that hard spot whenever you pick up another injury. Rugby players just want to play rugby, that’s what we enjoy doing. Injury is a part of the game and unfortunately I had a few of them last year.’’

Slade admits he may have returned too early from his first broken jaw, suffered during the pre-season, and then should have taken more time out when his groin injury first started to surface.

‘‘That’s the way it worked out; it’s all lessons learned,’’ he said.

During the off-season Slade travelled to the United States, the Bahamas and Fiji, spending time in the States with former Southland player and Highlanders and Canterbury team-mate James Patterson.

Because of his hernia surgery his holiday exploits were limited but he did find time to get married in January and now he’s looking forward to playing in the new Dunedin Stadium.

Playing indoors would bring its special challenges for a first five, Slade said.

‘‘It’s a double-edged sword. From a kicking perspective there’s going to be no wind to speak of, but the expectations will be that you will kick better. The games in there are obviously going to be a lot faster, too, so I’ll have to get the fitness up there. It’s going to be good for the spectators who can come to watch a game of footy and not have to worry about the conditions.’’

Slade said the stadium was an example of the reasons he opted to re-sign with the Highlanders last year.

‘‘It was the direction the franchise was heading: new stadium, facilities, players and coaches. I just liked the idea that they were trying to move forward and create something new.

‘‘Hopefully I get to pay them back by actually playing some rugby this year rather than the three games I got last year.’’