Latham is primed for season finale
WALLABIES superstar Chris Latham has proved to be Queensland's comeback kid this week after being given the all-clear to play in the final two matches of his Super 14 career before joining Worcester in October.
First up for Latham is the eagerly anticipated fixture against the reigning Super 14 champions the Canterbury Crusaders in Brisbane today.
The visitors have named All Blacks maestro Daniel Carter on the bench.
Latham's Super 14 swansong is next week's home fixture against his former team-mates the New South Wales Wara-tahs, but the 73-Test veteran revealed that he might never have joined Worcester if his dream of a mentoring role in Queensland had been realised.
"It's pretty disappointing that we've got all these exciting young players with so much talent but you know they're two or three years behind where they should be because they have to learn from all their own mistakes rather than learning from the mistakes of others," Latham said.
"Having current coach Phil Mooney appointed on a long-term basis has been a positive first step but it's a bit of a double-edged sword because his appointment coincides with an exodus of experienced players."
Latham has been monitoring the Warriors' Premiership results via both the Warriors and Worcester News websites and has vowed to stay close to his laptop during the European Cup final on May 25.
Despite his new team-mates having won only five of their 21 Premiership fixtures this season and languishing second from bottom in the table, Latham believes the only way is up next time around.
"It's about us performing as a team and that's been the culture at Worcester under Mike Ruddock," Latham said.
"It's also something that I was introduced to when I first starting playing rugby, that you put the team first.
"The Warriors will succeed and future honours will come because of that approach."
Latham said communication and every player fulfilling their roles in a structured game were the keys to the Warrirors playing consistently good rugby for 80 minutes in the future.
"Hopefully I can bring that and my own game," he said.
"If I've got that under control then it's about supporting the rest of the team."
Latham felt he could have returned from the knee injury he suffered in early April last week but he heeded medical advice to save himself for the Crusaders.
2:40pm Friday 9th May 2008
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