Eager Hore has a fight on his hands
All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore knows he won’t just walk back into the starting line-up, despite winning a recall to the squad without having played a match since May.
Hore dislocated his shoulder while playing for the Hurricanes in the Super 14, forcing him out of all the mid-year Test-match action.
The 47-Test veteran has since been replaced by Keven Mealamu as the All Blacks’ No.2, and will have a tough fight on his hands to win back the jersey from Mealamu who has had an incredible international season.
At the same time, however, there will also be the additional competition on tour from Hawke’s Bay’s new cap Hikawera Elliot.
Before the tour, however; Hore, 32, will aim to help Taranaki into the NPC semifinals, to gain some much-needed match practice before New Zealand’s year-end trip.
“The All Blacks meet on Thursday and fly out to Hong Kong on Saturday. I’ll stay around and if we make the semifinals I will play.
“I’ll then join the All Blacks in London,” he told the Taranaki Daily News.
“I’m not getting any younger and don’t want to miss any more games. I’ll probably start third hooker on tour and I will have to push my way back in.”
When the All Blacks play the Wallabies in Hong Kong on October 30, it will be five months since he underwent surgery on his shoulder.
“It’s been a while,” he admitted.
“I’ve just been playing a waiting game. I was up with Taranaki last week but came back to Christchurch at the weekend.
“Coops (Taranaki coach Colin Cooper) has let me train with the team. I’ve joined them on light runs and done some lineout work. I’ll pretty much start contact work this week.”
