MATT Giteau is flying home from Australia's spring rugby tour of Europe hungry to get his career back on track at inside centre not five-eighth, nor halfback.
Giteau has ignored Wallabies coach Eddie Jones's suggestions that he could be switched to the scrum base, preferring to return to the position in which he made his name at Super 12 and Test level.
Giteau's disappointing European tour came to a premature end when team medics decided to send him home four days early for an MRI scan and likely knee surgery.
The frustration started when he was surprisingly axed from five-eighth after the tour's first Test against France, and it deepened when he sustained a crack to his right knee after coming off the bench against England.
Before that Twickenham Test, Jones had raised the prospect of Giteau, short-listed for the 2004 International Rugby Board player of the year award, playing at halfback.
But the versatile 23-year-old who has played all three inside back positions said today that he had given little thought to challenging Australia captain George Gregan for the right to wear the No.9 jersey.
"Personally, I reckon my best position is 12 so that's probably the position I'll be looking at," he said before leaving the team's base at Cardiff.
"Especially at the Brumbies, we've got George (Gregan) and Steve (Larkham) there (in the halves) so that's the position I'll be looking at." Fly half Larkham's shoulder injury more than anything else has disrupted Giteau's year after it began with a bang at inside centre against Samoa, Italy, France and South Africa.
His eye-catching form followed on from 2004, but the forced shift to five-eighth, also hindered by injury troubles, didn't run smoothly and Giteau paid the price for the 26-16 loss to France.
"Playing 10, it's a position I don't mind, but I still think I play my best football, and the year before I showed that, at 12," he said.
"I've moved on since then.
"I got dropped. I was told it was on form so obviously there was parts of my game that need working on."
The problem for Giteau attempting to win back his favoured role is the fact that Jones believes a bigger body is required at inside centre.
Vice-captain Morgan Turinui, 15kg heavier than Giteau, at 100kg, has held the position for the past five Tests.
Giteau has been told he has an 80-90 per cent chance of requiring cleanout surgery for the crack on his knee joint, sustained in a collision with England full back Josh Lewsey.
The upside of that news is the fact an operation would prevent Giteau from running for six weeks, and he would be expected to start the 2006 Super 14 on time in early February.
The provincial tournament can't come soon enough for Giteau. "I was hungry to keep playing now but obviously disappointed I've got to go home, so I'm looking forward to the Super 14," he said.
AAP
