Super 15: Burleigh picked for Highland fling

Phil Burleigh faces another week with his head buried in the books after one of the quicker rugby defections over the weekend.

A week after the 25-year-old Bay of Plenty midfielder played for the Chiefs in their 36-0 Super 15 pre-season win over the Rebels in Melbourne, Burleigh found himself in opposing colours on Saturday after being plucked from the Chiefs' wider training squad by the Highlanders to cover for a midfield injury crisis.

Burleigh was supposed to play for the Chiefs against the Highlanders in Queenstown but instead wore blue and gold, getting on early after second-five Glen Dickson sprained his wrist and scoring a try midway through the second half. Burleigh's dot-down got the home team back in the contest at 38-29 after trailing 24-5 at the end of the first quarter but the Chiefs eventually ran out 38-36 winners.

His Bay of Plenty and Highlanders teammate Chris Noakes met him at the airport on Friday, bringing a copy of the side's play book for a crash course on Highlanders backline moves.

Burleigh said it would be another big week with his head in the folder schooling up on set moves and defensive patterns.

"Noakesy had a book of moves waiting for me so I got on to that fast. It wasn't too bad but most are quite different to what the Chiefs are doing. I sort of got the gist, with some similarities just with different names."

The Highlanders have five midfielders unavailable through injury or other commitments and Burleigh bussed to Hamilton airport and flew to Queenstown with the Chiefs, copping plenty of grief on the way.

"The buggers all sat in a different part of the plane so I was by myself the whole way - I'm not sure if it was coincidence or on purpose."

Burleigh was given clearance from Chiefs coach Dave Rennie when the NZRU phoned last Thursday asking if he wanted to link with the Highlanders.

"Dave was good about it and wasn't going to stop me and I'm definitely stoked to get the opportunity. It's a minimum of eight weeks here, maybe more depending on whether or not the other guys come right, and at this stage I'm being lined up for quite a bit of game time by the sounds."

Burleigh vacated the flat in Hamilton he had been sharing with Bay of Plenty teammate Josh Hohneck and is dossing down this week with Kendrick Lynn in Dunedin until he finds something more permanent.

Burleigh reportedly impressed Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph in his first outing and now has two months at least to show he and Super 15 are a good fit - although many are questioning why the naturally gifted footballer wasn't there from the start.

"I was told when the squads were named I'd got pretty close with Highlanders and the Chiefs, although selection didn't go my way. But I've got my chance now and plan to grab it and impress for next year.

"If I prove myself in whatever time I get here, then maybe it'll be my turn next season."