ACT Brumbies and Wallabies star Christian Lealiifano says the outstanding form of Pat McCabe has taken the pressure off him returning too soon from his ankle surgery.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lealiifano is set to play his first game of the season for the Super Rugby Australian conference leaders when the Brumbies take on the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Brumbies halfback Nic White is likely to retain goal-kicking duties as Lealiifano takes no chances with his ankle.
The big question is whether Lealiifano comes off the bench or is injected straight into the starting side at inside centre.
It's a tough decision to make given McCabe has thrived in the No. 12 jersey, especially in the past two weeks in victories over the Waratahs and Stormers.
Lealiifano has taken pride in McCabe's remarkable comeback from a broken neck and said watching him return to his best was motivation for his own recovery.
"He's one that I've been especially proud of to come back from what he's come back from,'' Lealiifano said.
''To see him come back and see him play some exceptional footy takes some pressure off myself not to rush back.
"Even if Patty wasn't [playing] I wouldn't have rushed back, it was always a decision for the coaching staff and the medical staff, player welfare comes first.''
Lealiifano was eased back into the fold with a solid 60 minutes of game time for Canberra club side Tuggeranong at the weekend.
He was confident he would return to his full match fitness in the next couple of weeks after having surgery on his ankle in the off-season.
However, Lealiifano conceded he would be happy for White to retain the goal-kicking duties in the short-term to take the strain off himself.
Lealiifano is one of the most accurate kickers in the competition, but White has done an admirable job stepping in for him this season.
"I probably wouldn't mind Whitey keep going just to give my ankle a bit of a break,'' Lealiifano said.
''The ankle's feeling fine, just trying to get my rhythm again and get back in the groove.
''Not to keen to take it off Whitey, but I think he's keen to get rid of it as well.''
Lealiifano's return is a massive boost for a Brumbies side that has won its past four games and is top of the Australian conference.
He played the majority of last season in pain after having an ankle reconstruction in 2012.
One teammate keen to see him back is fly half Matt Toomua – on the proviso that it's in the centres.
"Yeah, as long as he comes back as a 12, I'm very excited,'' Toomua laughed.
"Seeing that his ankle's good, he's looked fitter than he has for a while.
"He didn't complain too much last year, but he was carrying that ankle a lot, so it's good to see him running freely.
"Whatever the combination is [McCabe or Lealiifano] the positive is we'd have some impact off the bench.''
Hooker Stephen Moore (knee) and flanker Jarrad Butler (head knock) didn't finish training on Monday, but both are expected to be fit to face the Rebels.
