Rugby: Lamborn in hunt for awards and Super glory

RUGGED: Tony Lamborn will bring another dimension to the Hurricanes. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's bay Magpies rugby flanker Tony Lamborn returned from a hunting expedition empty-handed last night.

Lamborn and one of his best mates, Auckland-based professional golfer Daniel Pearce, were going out to some of the remote areas of Puketitiri this morning in an attempt to redeem themselves. That's an example of Lamborn's never give-up approach, one which earlier this week saw him named in the Hurricanes 2016 Super Rugby squad.

"I was stoked. In fact I actually found out before we played Auckland last month," Lamborn recalled.

The selection means his days as a builder for his brother Sam at Dundeal Building will be put on hold while he comes to grips with the rigours of being a fulltime professional.

"I've been a qualified builder for three-and-a-half years now. It's time to concentrate on taking my rugby to the next level and I'll return to building when my rugby days have finished with the aim of building my own house."

Magpies head coach Craig Philpott has told Havelock North's Lamborn he will have a good opportunity to secure game time at Super Rugby level when Wellington Lions captain Ardie Savea focuses on his All Black Sevens commitments during the second half of the Super season and Lamborn and Manawatu's Callum Gibbons will battle for the Canes No7 jersey.

"Callum is a great player and I'm looking forward to fighting for a spot with him. Competition like that brings out the best in players," Lamborn, 24, said.

Philpott said at the end of the 2014 season Lamborn was hard done by when he missed Super selection. This year he made it one of his missions to help Lamborn take his game to a level where it would be impossible for him to be ignored by Super teams.

Hawke's Bay's club MVP award winner in 2012 continued to be a force at the breakdown. He enhanced his defensive work rate and his thirst for carts increased.

In the Ranfurly Shield loss to Waikato, Lamborn, had an average gain of 4.4m and beat four defenders during 14 carries. He also made seven tackles.

One of Lamborn's challenges at the start of the season was not to become too over-hyped during his pre-game approach. Lamborn had this sorted by the time the Magpies took on Northland in their first ITM Cup match of the season.

Lamborn is tipped to be among the finalists at the Magpies' awards function in Hastings tonight.

"Whatever happens will happen," Lamborn said.

Success tonight will be the ideal consolation should Lamborn and Pearce return empty-handed again this afternoon. Few would bet against that happening as his latest selection indicates... Lamborn gets what he wants, eventually.

With 17 Super players on their books for next year the Hawke's Bay union is the fourth best province for Super selections. Canterbury will have 28, Auckland 22, Wellington 18 and Taranaki and Tasman 16 each.

In addition to the 17 Magpies who have secured fulltime Super contracts hooker Ricky Riccitelli, a world champion New Zealand under-20 player this year, has scored a short-term injury cover contract with the Hurricanes which will begin next month and continue until December.

"Depending on how Ricky goes he could end up there permanently," Philpott said.