Joe Wheeler hopes horror run over [Marlborough Express]

Crusaders and Tasman Makos forward Joe Wheeler has his fingers crossed that a horror run of injuries over the past two years is finally behind him.

Wheeler made his playing comeback to rugby, after 14 weeks of rehabilitation, for the Harlequins Club against Central at Lansdowne Park last Saturday and came through the 40 minutes he played unscathed.

His 2010 season was hampered by a shoulder injury but he soldiered on, playing under stress until having to withdraw from the Tasman Makos' last three ITM Cup games. That injury required surgery which meant he wasn't available for the Crusaders until well into the season by which time his opportunities were severely limited.

Heading into this year's Super Rugby season and feeling fit and healthy, the injury curse struck again, a prolapsed disc in his back leading into the last pre-season Super game requiring surgery and ruling him out for 14 weeks until his comeback last Saturday.

Still just 23, the talented former Marlborough Boys' College first XV star enjoyed last week's club outing and is thirsting for the ITM Cup to start.

"I managed to get through Saturday pretty well and the back felt really strong. Probably the only thing was battling with match fitness and the lungs burning. It was great to get out there and nice to have a run around with the boys.

"Obviously the result (12-28 to Central) didn't go our way. We probably only played 25 minutes of good rugby. The rest was average."

Wheeler probably won't get another game in for Harlequins. He'll be back playing club rugby in Christchurch on Saturday for the Sydenham Club.

"I will be mainly based down in Christchurch now because I have to be available for the Crusaders if there are injuries. Hopefully I'll get another 40-50 minutes under the belt this week and keep building from there."

As a fourth-year Mako, Wheeler will be expected to play a key role in the ITM Cup campaign, probably at lock, and he can't wait.

"I'm really excited about the Tasman season. I saw the squad announced on Monday, which looks an exciting one. It's always good to get back into Tasman stuff and the ITM Cup.

"Obviously with the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Taranaki this year, it's bloody exciting. Hopefully the injuries will stay away and I can get a decent Super season under my belt as well next year."

It's obviously been disappointing and extremely frustrating being forced out of rugby for so long, but Wheeler realises that's all part of rugby and, as he said: "Those are the cards you are sometimes dealt and luck is not always on your side. But hopefully it's turning around now."

Wheeler wasn't with the Crusaders during their loss to the Hurricanes last week but he has been training with them since and said there was a lot of disappointment in the camp about that performance.

"[They are] very disappointed. We didn't perform on Wyatt Crockett's 100th game. Didn't do what we said we were going to do. We had enough possession and enough opportunities to win but just didn't take them, and let them back into the game."

The pressure is obviously on the seven-times champions to perform and they know it.

"We have to get a win this weekend against the Chiefs. Toddy (coach Blackadder) wasn't happy yesterday and apparently after the game he didn't speak so the boys knew they had messed up.

"The coaches put in a lot of work. We were really clear on what we wanted to do, or so we said, but just didn't execute.

"We've got to get the job done this week."