I'm The Mcmeniman For Blindside Job, Says Hugh

Sun Herald

Sunday July 13, 2008

By Adrian Warren

WALLABIES forward Hugh McMeniman is eyeing a permanent move to the blindside breakaway role and is convinced his luck has changed after his weight and fitness battles.

The injury-prone 24-year-old Queenslander missed much of the Super 14 tournament with a broken leg after also being sidelined for large chunks of last year's competition with knee and ankle problems.

Enjoying a rare run of good health and fortune, McMeniman achieved the rare distinction last weekend of coming off the bench for the Wallabies against France in Brisbane last Saturday week and doing likewise for Australia A against New Zealand Maori in Sydney the following day.

After being injured in round two of this year's Super tournament and not making it back before the end, McMeniman doubted he would play Test rugby this season.

However, his eye-catching performance for the A team and his effort in last weekend's second Test were enough to secure his spot in the squad for Australia's Tri Nations series opener against South Africa in Perth next Saturday.

Even allowing for his prodigious efforts last weekend, McMeniman wasn't taking anything for granted, "especially with the bad luck I have".

He admitted there had been times in the past couple of years when he wondered whether he could continue to cope with the depressing and regular run of injuries.

"[With] the last two injuries especially, I thought, 'Is it worth it?"' McMeniman said. "But that only lasted about a day and then I'm back on the bike and getting my work done and trying to get bigger, fitter and stronger and get back.

"I guess, at the end of the day, if you love the sport, you come back and play it until you can't any more and you don't love it."

McMeniman had an unusual start to his international career in 2005, when he was stood down and spent three months trying to add more strength to his developing frame.

In those early days of his senior career, he had trouble keeping weight on, but has now stabilised at around 113 kilograms.

"It really doesn't take long for me to put weight on when I get back to the gym, although I've got a real heightened metabolism, so I strip it off easy also," McMeniman said.

While he made his name as a mobile second-rower, he has gradually spent more time as a blindside breakaway. He could spend even more there later in the year when Rocky Elsom heads to Irish club Leinster.

"I'd like to move full-time to [No.6]," McMeniman said.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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