Rugby: Barracuda aims to tame water monster

Richard "Barracuda" Buckman. PHOTO/FILE

THE PANELBEATING job is complete ... Richard "The Barracuda" Buckman is ready. "I'm grateful for the month off and now I want to help the boys defend the Shield," Buckman said yesterday.

Tomorrow's Magpies ITM Cup Championship opener and Ranfurly Shield defence against Northland at Napier's McLean Park will be centre Buckman's first match since playing for the Barbarians in the July 18 win against the Maori All Blacks in Auckland. That match followed an impressive Super season for Buckman, 26, who was key member of the title-winning Highlanders.

Buckman boasts legendary-like status in the deep south and last year had a song written about him.

That's where the Barracuda nickname comes from but even legends can't escape injuries and Buckman said the extra two weeks which were added to his mandatory two weeks off was ideal as "the body was pretty sore".

"I can't complain about the Highlanders season. A few people doubted us, so to get the first title was pretty pleasing."

Buckman, who played the first of his 56 first class games for the Magpies in 2008, was equally as delighted with his opportunity to strut his stuff for the Barbarians which beat a side which included fellow Highlanders and Magpies in prop Brendon Edmonds and hooker Ash Dixon. Because of these commitments he was late joining the Magpies environment but he was impressed with what he saw particularly when he went on the Magpies pre-season camp in Taupo. "Most of the boys have been together for between five and seven months and the benefits were shown in those wins against Heartland Championship opponents, we saw a bit of ticker and good fitness levels in those games. Now it's time for all the talk to stop and the actions to begin," Buckman said. Naturally he doesn't want a repeat of what he described as "an up and down game" in last year's semifinal against Northland which the Magpies won 26-21. He left the field with a knee injury which forced him out of the final and was still niggling him at the start of the Super season.

Bay of Plenty's Shane McDermott who was the referee of last year's semifinal will be in charge again tomorrow. Buckman will be hoping that appointment doesn't prove to be a bad omen.

Magpies head coach Craig Philpott named a predictable side with tighthead prop Jarvy Aoake, blindside flanker Tony Lamborn and left winger Shannan Chase the only players in the starting XV who have yet to play Super Rugby. Aoake proved against Taranaki he won't be found wanting in the ITM Cup Championship, Lamborn thrives at this level and if the weather is favourable and space is created for Chase, he is capable of running in a try or two. Eight of the Northland players will be making their first class debuts. They will be New Zealand Under-20s world champion lock Josh Goodhue, Hikurangi tighthead prop Dominic Robertson-McCoy, former Auckland and Bay of Plenty centre Dave Thomas, former New Zealand Under-20 rep and Canterbury age group No8 Taniela Manu, Mid Northern winger Waisea Lawbuka and Otamatea second five-eighth Jordan Hyland in the starting XV and lock Sean Sweetman and halfback Sam Nock, a new Blues recruit, off the pine.

New Taniwha coach Richie Harris has made no secret of the importance the visitors have placed on the match.

Northland haven't tasted Ranfurly Shield glory since 1978 and the Magpies can expect similar intensity levels to what the Taniwha outfit brought to last year's semifinal and the round robin clash which Northland won 23-21 in Whangarei.

-The curtainraisers will see Wairoa College take on Te Aute College in the Unison 1st XV Challenge Cup B grade final and Wairoa Primary School clash with Napier's Arthur Miller School in a Tremains Rippa Rugby semifinal.