Ellis uses lay-off to bulk up

NICK TOLERTON | 26th August 2009

Don’t read anything into the spotty win over Tasman when you’re weighing up Canterbury’s chances for Saturday’s Ranfurly Shield challenge in Wellington.

That’s new look halfback Andy Ellis’s warning after making his comeback from his rib injury as a second half sub against Tasman.

Fans thinking the 25-year-old looks a bit different are right. He’s eight to 10kg heavier – a deliberate decision.

"I’m still feeling as fit as I’ve been and as strong," he said. "I worked pretty hard over those three months off, and I just thought it would help a bit more in the contact and help protect the ribs a bit more.

"I’ve been in the gym five or six days a week and eating lots. It’s been my wee project, I suppose."

Canterbury expect to have Richie McCaw, Wyatt Crockett, and Brad Thorn reinforcing the pack for the shield match, as well as Ellis in the mix.

Canterbury scored some good long-range tries against Tasman with individual brilliance, but perhaps weren’t quite as patient as they wanted to be, Ellis said.

"We would work hard to get down in their 22 and then do something silly and lose it, knock it on or whatever."

The shield challenge would be completely different, he said.

"A lot of rugby is about the attitude you’re prepared to bring on the day, and a lot of things flow from that with defence and running hard and clean-outs and things like that.

"And I know we’re really excited about the challenge and our attitude will be very good."

Shield weeks were always pretty special, he said. "We’re going to get tight together as a team, and hopefully go up there as one and try and do the job."

Shield rugby like this was probably the closest thing you could get to the very top international level, and up there with the big Super 14 games, said Ellis.

And with a lot of the international players back this week, it was "pretty special stuff."

The older hands have some simple advice for the players playing their first shield challenge.

"I was in a similar situation a few years ago, and guys like Reuben and Leon, they’d come and say just prepare like any other week, don’t change anything, the reason you’re playing here is because of what you’ve done so far," said Ellis.

Players like Ellis feel they have some unfinished business with the shield. They remember all too well the 17-21 loss to North Harbour in 2006 on Canterbury’s 14th defence, and then the tiny tenure of 2007 when they won it off Waikato and lost it to Auckland in less than a month.