Rugby: Tom Stanley eyes spot on Magpies squad

NIGHT AND DAY: Taradale rugby flanker Tom Stanley at work as a structural engineer for Christchurch company Powell Fenwick Consultants Limited. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

The contrast between Taradale flanker Tom Stanley's role on the rugby field and his day job off it is huge.

On the field Stanley, 25, does his best to destruct opponents' quest for quality possession. When he's at work as a structural engineer for Powell Fenwick Consultants Limited, his priority is construction and in particular the rebuild of Christchurch, which he has been able to do via computer while based at Gemco's Havelock North headquarters.

"My employers have been fantastic. When I got the opportunity to come up to the Bay on a Magpies development contract last year they said I could continue to work for them while based in the Bay. Both of my bosses have been involved in top level sport themselves and appreciate my position," Stanley explained referring to multisporter Malcolm Freeman who is a Coast to Coast athlete and Phil Paterson who has tackled the World Ironman Triathlon Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Among Stanley's recent projects are the new admin block at CPIT, a new factory and some large residential areas.

"I do close to 40 hours each week and often head down to Christchurch to check on jobs. When I have to leave work for trainings and games, I make up the time at the weekends or in the evenings," Stanley said.

The St Andrew's College old boy (Stanley was in the same 1st XV as Magpies lock Mark Abbott and former Magpies winger Telusa Veainu) has obviously got his balance between rugby and work spot-on. He has made giant strides on the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award leaderboard in recent weeks to secure third place and on Saturday produced a player-of-the-match performance as Carters Frame and Truss Taradale ended Ansin & Monteith Hastings Rugby and Sports unbeaten run in the Maddison Trophy comp to become the 13th weekly winner as the tussle for the award continued.

"For us it wasn't so much about ending Hastings' unbeaten run ... it was more about getting ourselves back on track after two losses in the Maddison Trophy round," Stanley said.

"After winning the Nash Cup with an unbeaten run we had lost our way a little bit. We lost the fun side of footy. We got a bit of direction back and it was good to regroup."

And the key to Stanley's recent surge up the leaderboard?

"I had a mental shift six or seven weeks ago. I decided then to put my best foot forward and things are falling in to place."

The former Canterbury University student played four games for the Magpies last year, three of them as a substitute. He is keen to secure more ITM Cup time this season with the aim of becoming the starting No7 next year when Magpies captain Brendon O'Connor is overseas. However, he knows that won't happen unless he plays well in next month's Ranfurly Shield defences against Wairarapa Bush, Horowhenua-Kapiti and Mid Canterbury.

"I've had a fantastic time in the Bay and I'm in the best nick of my career and for that kudos must go to Magpies fitness trainer Grant Dearns and all of the coaches who have helped me along," Stanley said.

He ranked his main rival for O'Connor's deputy role, Havelock North's Tony Lamborn, as his toughest in club play.

"We get on well but at the same time I know I'm up for a battle when I have to play him."

No prizes for guessing Stanley's career highlight to date. "Playing during the final minutes of that final shield defence of the season against Southland last year when we hung on for a draw. It's ... the biggest celebration I've been involved with involving a crowd of that size."