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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – They might want to haul out an old joke about Zimmer frames being required in midfield as the table-topping Sharks meet battling New Zealand franchise the Chiefs in a Super Rugby fixture in Hamilton on Friday.
The encounter at Waikato Stadium will see the Chiefs, presently the worst-placed side in the NZ conference with one win from four matches, field 37-year-old former All Black legend Tana Umaga at centre for a third start on the trot.
Hefty customer Umaga returned to Super Rugby with the Chiefs this season partly tasked with mentoring younger backline players at the franchise, but according to local newspaper the Waikato Times on Wednesday, he was “full of running at training (on Tuesday) and his form and fitness obviously convinced the coaches he still has plenty in the tank for this week”.
His last full Super 14 campaign came in the colours of the Hurricanes in 2007, before he departed for a stint in France.
It was also confirmed on Wednesday that Umaga will be partnered at centre by Richard Kahui, a much younger All Black at 25, who returns to the first-class arena after a six-month absence following a second shoulder reconstruction.
Visitors the Sharks, of course, will feature in their midfield Stefan Terblanche, the 35-year-old former Springbok whose zest for the game appears to be undimmed despite some loss of the pace that had once made him a wing of renown.
He remains in centre partnership for this match with Meyer Bosman, acclimatising pretty well to life with the Durban-based side after his switch from the Cheetahs.
Cape Town – They might want to haul out an old joke about Zimmer frames being required in midfield as the table-topping Sharks meet battling New Zealand franchise the Chiefs in a Super Rugby fixture in Hamilton on Friday.
The encounter at Waikato Stadium will see the Chiefs, presently the worst-placed side in the NZ conference with one win from four matches, field 37-year-old former All Black legend Tana Umaga at centre for a third start on the trot.
Hefty customer Umaga returned to Super Rugby with the Chiefs this season partly tasked with mentoring younger backline players at the franchise, but according to local newspaper the Waikato Times on Wednesday, he was “full of running at training (on Tuesday) and his form and fitness obviously convinced the coaches he still has plenty in the tank for this week”.
His last full Super 14 campaign came in the colours of the Hurricanes in 2007, before he departed for a stint in France.
It was also confirmed on Wednesday that Umaga will be partnered at centre by Richard Kahui, a much younger All Black at 25, who returns to the first-class arena after a six-month absence following a second shoulder reconstruction.
Visitors the Sharks, of course, will feature in their midfield Stefan Terblanche, the 35-year-old former Springbok whose zest for the game appears to be undimmed despite some loss of the pace that had once made him a wing of renown.
He remains in centre partnership for this match with Meyer Bosman, acclimatising pretty well to life with the Durban-based side after his switch from the Cheetahs.
