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Sevens playmaker set for Force debut in Christchurch
By AAP
The Western Force have turned to unheralded playmaker Max Burey as they embark on what's traditionally the toughest club challenge in world rugby, and the 24-year-old is taking it all in his stride.
Burey, who featured for the Australian Sevens team in Singapore and Hong Kong last month, has been named at five-eighth for Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Crusaders in Christchurch.
The Wagga product has endured a hectic few weeks, flying back and forth across Australia to play club rugby in Sydney and train with the Force in Perth during the week.
His efforts have paid off, with a knee injury to Bryce Hegarty in last week's loss to Queensland opening the door for Burey to get his Super Rugby debut against the Crusaders.
Taking on the Crusaders on enemy territory should be a daunting task - but not for the laid-back Burey.
"They're a pretty big-name team, they've got a lot of stars," Burey told reporters on Thursday.
"But for me, what better way to challenge yourself and see where you're at.
"I'm a pretty relaxed sort of guy - just kick the feet up, and when it's time to flick the switch, I'm pretty confident I can do it.
"Not to dwell on the things too much, just get into it and put your shoulder through someone."
Burey, who made his Sevens debut for Australia last year, sees his future in the 15s form of the game, and he knows a strong display for the Force could open doors for a permanent Super Rugby deal.
"It's definitely a good opportunity for me," he said.
"How I perform will dictate my future, but I'm not too fazed by that.
"I'm pretty happy with sitting at the pub telling blokes I used to play on that TV."
Force forwards coach Jimmy Duffy, who stepped in for the ill Simon Cron to front the media on Thursday, is confident the big occasion won't ruffle Burey.
"What I've observed is that every time he gave a command to the group, forwards or backs, there was an action that followed pretty quickly," Duffy said.
"That's a huge part of being in that role."
The Force will also unleash former Wallabies enforcer Isi Naisarani against the Crusaders.
Naisarani signed for the Force last month following his stint in Japan, and he will be heavily relied upon as the team attempt to pull off a massive upset.
The 10th-placed Force (3-6) are yet to win on the road this season, and they face a Crusaders outfit who will be desperate to bounce back from last week's 34-24 loss to the ladder-leading Chiefs.
The Crusaders (6-3) have been bolstered by the return of All Blacks star Will Jordan, who has recovered from a migraine-related condition that had grounded him since last September.
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Larry Brown was 63 when he won the NBA, and Phil Jackson was 64.
I guess my general feeling in rugby is that most coaches seem to decline quite a bit when they hit 60, and to be coaching at the top level when you’re 65 or older is extremely rare. Maybe in american sports people have another 5 years, but that doesn’t seem like a massive difference.
Either way, I’m going to stick with my verdict that appointing Les Kiss at age 60 would be ok as a short term deal - but appointing him at 63 and expecting him to last 4 years would be foolish.
Go to commentsWe come off a loss and a big one to Moana Pasifika and 2 years in a row losing to the Drua. The motivation to reverse that is huge. This competition has been unpredictable. I believe the return of inform players like Antonio Shalfoon , Christian Lio-Willie will make a huge difference.Tom Christie, who played so well in his 2 starts and Corrie Kellow will be raring to go. We missed David Havili, the form second five and captain last week, he thankfully will be back soon. But Codie Taylor is a great choice to captain in the mean time in David’s absence.
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