Selector's roving eye scans game's lower levels for wildcard new players RUPERT GUINNESS
June 14, 2010
WHEN Chris Alcock was plucked from club rugby by the NSW Waratahs to cover for an injured Phil Waugh in round eight against the Cheetahs in Sydney, the reaction varied from ''What the …'' to ''Where did he come from?''.
Forget not being a signed Waratah or NSW Academy player coming from a representative program, Alcock, 21, had not even been noticed in the ranks of the Shute Shield.
Most knew the No.7 - fairly or not - as a solid Gordon member who had barely risen from the ranks of second grade, where he played last year's grand final, to first grade.
But NSW Rugby Union high-performance manager Scott Bowen had long been watching Alcock.
Gordon playing Warringah last year was the catalyst. ''Chris was the most dominant player on the field against a team that had Brett Sheehan, Josh Holmes in the centres and Beau Robinson,'' Bowen says.
''He carried the ball a number of times and consistently broke tackles against guys like Brett, Josh and Beau. I thought we had to keep an eye on this guy. We did.''
Alcock's chance with the Waratahs came after Waugh was injured in round seven against the Blues.
That he stayed with the squad for the rest of the season showed he impressed. It also showed that opportunity still exists for players who are not aligned to a Super province but populate the next tier down.
''It takes an organisation like ourselves punting on one of these guys and them backing themselves to take the opportunity they are given,'' Bowen says. ''Chris is an example that we now take to the clubs, saying if you perform consistently, someone is going to take notice.''
Sadly, for Alcock, his opportunity has not yet led to a Super contract for next season. The spot he would have wished for at the Waratahs next year instead went to Pat McCutcheon.
But that Alcock still got the chance raises the question: how many similar players are there who would be on the fringe of a Super rugby career?
A Herald team selection of club rugby shows there may be more than most realise.
If they hope for the chance Alcock got, Bowen says they must take ''the next step: see how they go against the likes of Sydney University. It will be interesting to see if they can step up.''
He should have found some of the answers in last Saturday's two games of the Shute Shield.
Warringah (ninth) produced an upset, beating Eastern Suburbs (fifth) 49-13 at Pittwater Rugby Park. They are now one win out of the top six.
Meanwhile, Manly (third) lost to Sydney University (eighth) 20-17 at Manly Oval. Manly's hope of beating a side full of Super 14 players was dashed in the final minutes when the Students were awarded a penalty try for a collapsed rolling maul.
Possible second-tier Sydney Super team
15 Nathan Trist (Sydney Uni)
14 John Grant (Eastwood)
13 James Lew (Nthrn Suburbs)
12 Albert Hopoate (Penrith)
11 Nicky Price (Sthrn Districts)
10 Ben Seymour (Manly)
9 Nathan Sievert (Sthrn Dist)
8 Ita Vaea (Sthrn Dist)
7 Hugh Perrett (Eastwood)
6 Ed Gower (Gordon)
5 Dylan Sigg (Manly)
4 Tom Alexander (Eastwood)
3 Martin Plokstys (Gordon)
2 Atonio Halangahu (Randwick)
1 Tetera Faulkner (Sthrn Dist)
Reserves: Elvis Taione (Manly), Jono Owen (Randwick), Ben Matwijow (Nthrn Subs), Beau Robinson (Warringah), Jeremy Su'a (West Harbour), Jai Ayoub (W Harb), Nick Reily (W Harb)
