New Zealand Maori rugby team halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow has more than just the Fiji game on his mind.
He will start against the Vodafone Flying Fijians on Saturday, which will be the start of his bid to make the New Zealand All Blacks for the World Cup.
Kerr-Barlow has only played club rugby in Waikato after more than nine months on the sideline following a serious knee and hamstring injury last October playing for the All Blacks against the Springboks.
He says this will be a battle for him to prove his worth but it won’t be easy.
“I just can’t wait to play some more football. I have just had an 80-minute run and one 40-minute run to date. It will be really hard out there and definitely not taking Fiji lightly that’s for sure. And even at training today with the weather and the heat the boys definitely feeling the difference from training back home.”
Meanwhile, Maori coach Colin Cooper has named All Blacks, Kerr-Barlow, Joe Moody and Charlie Ngatai in his starting team.
The national side will host the Maori All Blacks at 3pm on Saturday at the ANZ Stadium in Suva and a live commentary will air on Bula FM with the voice of rugby, Graham Eden.
NZ Maori: 1. Joe Moody, 2. Ash Dixon, 3. Ben May, 4. Jacob Skeen, 5. Hayden Triggs, 6. Akira Ioane, 7. Mitchell Crosswell, 8. Blade Thomson, 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 10. Marty McKenzie, 11. Kurt Baker, 12. Charlie Ngatai, 13. Matt Proctor, 14. Rieko Ioane, 15. Damian McKenzie. Reserves: 16. Quentin MacDonald, 17. Brendon Edmonds, 18. Josh Hohneck, 19. Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, 20. Elliot Dixon, 21. Jamison Gibson-Park, 22. Otere Black, 23. Jason Emery.
