LOTE TUQIRI may start at fullback for the Waratahs against the Stormers on Saturday evening (Sunday morning, Sydney time) as part of a back-line reshuffle that would put Sam Norton-Knight on the bench.
McKenzie will name his side on Thursday for the game at Newlands, but Tuqiri ran at fullback at training on Tuesday, with last week's No.15, Norton-Knight, in the reserves.
"It is one of our options. It is just an idea. He covers the position a little bit," McKenzie said.
McKenzie is not likely to break up his youthful but successful 10, 12 and 13 combination of Kurtley Beale, Tom Carter and Rob Horne, meaning that if Tuqiri plays at No.15, Norton-Knight would go to the bench. Norton-Knight has not yet fully recovered from a knock to his eye in last Saturday's loss to the Bulls in Pretoria. The cut required stitches and partially affected his vision. That change may not be the only one, with Randwick back Matt Carraro poised to be promoted from the bench to the run-on XV for his first Super 14 start. Former Parramatta rugby league star Timana Tahu is also likely to be named on the bench for his long-awaited return. Tahu has not played for the Waratahs since round three, against the Highlanders.
Carraro and Tahu ran in the likely starting side at Tuesday's training, although Tahu's time on the wing was to cover for Lachie Turner, who was missing because of a bout of gastroenteritis.
McKenzie was "getting closer" to deciding his bench, but a 4-3 forwards-backs split is the fancied option. Tuqiri's move to fullback would place him in an ideal position to lead the rookie Waratahs back line, and he is relishing the challenge.
"I have really enjoyed playing this year," he said. "I have enjoyed the added responsibility. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much. Initially, I thought, 'What am I going to do here?' I was in unchartered waters as a so-called senior player and having such a young group around me."
With the Waratahs having given themselves a chance of winning the Super 14 title, Tuqiri admitted he appreciated such opportunities more than he did during his time with the Broncos in league.
"These opportunities don't always arrive," he said. "In a good team when you are young, you get spoiled. You don't realise how lucky you were. I was that when I was coming through playing rugby league. I won a lot of games, series and titles playing with some good teams. It is tough when you are young to not think that you are 10-foot tall, bullet-proof and that these things happen all the time."
However, Tuqiri believed the Waratahs' "baby backs" had a different attitude and praised their ability to learn.
"They are all pretty good listeners. They have mature heads on their shoulders," he said. "They are not off with the fairies, which young guys can be up themselves. We have not had too much of that here. If it has happened, it has been knocked on the head. But I couldn't tell you when."
Tuqiri said the Waratahs were far more potent than when he debuted for them in 2003. The second-placed Waratahs can still miss the semi-finals if they lose to the Stormers on Saturday and the Reds next week, but Tuqiri said this year's side was an improved version of the outfit that lost the 2005 final against the Crusaders and were beaten in the 2006 semi-final by the Hurricanes.
"In 2005 we were sort of up there. But I don't think we were playing a style that was conducive to winning the competition," he said. "Now, I believe we have a style, or can adapt to a style to win.
"At the start of the year we were a bit robotic. But the experience we have had over the last month or six weeks has helped mould our game into a way that can be adaptive. It has been really good [how] we have adapted to different games."
- Tom Carter yesterday signed a two-year contract extension with the Waratahs.
WARATAHS (likely): B Robinson, T Polota-Nau, A Baxter, D Mumm, D Vickerman, R Elsom, P Waugh, W Palu, L Burgess, K Beale, M Carraro, T Carter, R Horne, L Turner, L Tuqiri. Reserves: A Freier, S Kepu, W Caldwell, D Lyons, S Norton-Knight, B Sheehan.
