Christian Lealiifano to boost Brumbies with inspirational comeback after cancer fight

CHRISTIAN Lealiifano’s imminent comeback to Super Rugby from a cancer fight will be more than just inspiring for Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham. It will make his team better.

Christian Lealiifano’s Super Rugby return for the Brumbies is imminent.

IT will be one of the great feel-good stories of Australian sport but Christian Lealiifano’s imminent comeback to Super Rugby from a cancer fight will be more than just inspiring for Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham.

It will make his team better, plain and simple.

“You saw it in Singapore,” Larkham said.

“It was 14-all when he came on and we put on 40 points in that last 30 minutes.

“It was a real boost to the side that week and it will be the same if he gets a chance this week. It will increase the confidence of the other players out there.”

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Just 11 months after he was diagnosed with leukaemia, Lealiifano is set to make his return to the Brumbies side on the bench on Friday night against Queensland in Brisbane.

Christian Lealiifano’s Super Rugby return for the Brumbies is imminent.

Larkham named his starting side on Wednesday but delayed picking his bench for another day, wanting to see another training session first.

It is understood Lealiifano will be named, which will be a brilliant moment for the 29-year-old after a bout of unusual lethargy at training last year led to blood tests and a shock leukaemia diagnosis.

Intensive treatment followed, including a bone-marrow transplant, but returned to the Brumbies early this year as a co-captain, mentoring players at the club, running water in games and gently resuming training.

Lealiifano has now put back on the nine kilograms he lost and after training full-time for the last few months, he returned in a friendly game in Singapore two weeks ago and then played club rugby at the weekend,

“He has done everything he needs to do to get himself right for selection,” Larkham said.

Brumbies co-captain Sam Carter said Lealiifano has been an inspiration to the team throughout his recovery, and it will be a huge boost to have him back ahead of the finals.

“He’s been unbelievable but he’s been in here all year,” Carter said.

“He has been doing his own rehab, he has been doing everything he can to get himself right and just that has been inspiration for the boys. Just having him around, seeing him laugh and the way he leads the boys off the field is amazing.

“The boys are going to lift having him around again.

“I have absolutely no doubt it is going to be a seamless transition when he comes back on, and just the energy and the chat and experience he has in that backline, it’s just going to lift the boys.”

Larkham said the club were very fortunate to have all-bar two players in their whole squad available for selection, with Tomas Cubelli (knee) and Ben Alexander (knee) also both back on deck.

“It is the perfect scenario for us. We are already guaranteed a home final in two weeks time, the boys have been in various programs but their fitness is where it needs to be and we have almost everyone available for selection,” Larkham said.

Originally published as Christian Lealiifano to boost Brumbies with inspirational comeback after cancer fight