New Zealand legend Jonah Lomu will be in the unusual position of supporting act when he heads back to Wellington with North Harbour on Friday.
All the attention will be on All Black prospect Luke McAlister, who has been given his first NPC start of the season as he bids to win the race to replace Dan Carter at fly-half for the remaining Tri-Nations clashes.
Fellow All Black Conrad Smith will be out to impress as well, while Lions five-eighth duo Ma’a Nonu and Jimmy Gopperth also have a point to prove.
Lomu was sidelined for the entire campaign with a shoulder injury, but returns to the capital in his role as player-coach at North Harbour.
"It’s been a while since I’ve been down here and I’ve played with most of the Wellington boys," the winger told The Dominion Post.
"But that’s the reality of professional sport these days. It’s tough lining up against your old mates but that’s how it goes."
Lomu revealed North Harbour boss Allan Pollock had not issued him with a specific coaching brief, but he was to be used a source of knowledge and experience for the young squad.
He said: "I’m here to help out when I can, things like answering questions and just being a part of the team.
"It’s very enjoyable at North Harbour, I’m really enjoying the experience. A lot of the guys in the side I’d played with before so it wasn’t hard to slot in."
