News: New Zealand vice-captain Tana Umaga is making rapid progress from a ruptured knee ligament and believes he is on track for a return to action by the World Cup quarter-finals.
Umaga suffered the injury to his left leg just over a fortnight ago in the All Blacks' opening victory against Italy and his future in the tournament hung in the balance.
Coach John Mitchell feared the worst and Norm Maxwell was flown over to Australia as cover, but he spent the entire time on standby as Umaga embarked on a swift, and so far successful, recovery.
The 30-year-old was back doing light exercise within four days and now, two weeks on, is has been running, putting full weight on the knee and giving it "quite a serious hit out" in training.
Umaga, a key member of the All Blacks squad, spent 45 minutes today working on agility drills and direction changes.
"I've come through feeling good at the moment and I can put all my weight on the knee - and I'm not a small guy," Umaga said after training. "I'm very happy where I'm at now, and hopefully it's just going to get better.
"I've been pretty determined and have been working hard along with the medical staff. I'm pretty happy where I am."
In Umaga's absence Ma'a Nonu and then Leon MacDonald have had the chance in his outside centre position, and so his return could depend on more than just fitness.
MacDonald also took on the kicking duties against Tonga while Umaga has already claimed Nonu is on the rise to becoming a world star.
"I thought Leon played great. He was decisive in his running and he's a strong defender anyway and they're probably the main things you need as a centre. He also set up his outsides and he kicked great.
"I can only do what I can do and then it comes down to the coaches seeing how I fit in," he said.
Elsewhere, Scotland flanker Martin Leslie will go before the World Cup disciplinary appeals committee today and attempt to save his international career.
The 32-year-old Edinburgh player will try to overturn the record 12-week suspension imposed on him last week after he was found guilty of kneeing Jason Keyter in the head during Scotland's World Cup win over the United States.
Although TV replays indicate the case is clear-cut, Leslie is adamant he did not intentionally strike Keyter and did not deserve the suspension, which blemishes an otherwise exemplary disciplinary record.
The Scottish Rugby Union have had their own legal team working on Leslie's behalf in Edinburgh and the Kiwi-born star will have a solicitor present at today's appearance, as opposed to the original hearing when only team manager Dougie Morgan was there to speak on his behalf.
Leslie is taking a calculated risk as the three-man appeal panel, which will be chaired by Canadian Graeme Mew, not only has the power to decrease the sentence, but also to increase it.
Currently, the player is banned until January 12th, which not only rules him out of the remainder of Scotland's World Cup campaign, after which he was due to retire from international rugby, but also the majority of Edinburgh's Heineken Cup crusade.
Coach Ian McGeechan is, meanwhile, certain to make at least one change to his squad for Scotland's qualification decider against Fiji at Aussie Stadium on Saturday, with Edinburgh's Allan Jacobsen due to arrive as a replacement for neck injury victim Gavin Kerr.
