Upton locks down big role at Bay

Bernie Upton has improved in leaps and bounds playing for Bay of Plenty. Picture / Fotopress

Wellington's cluttered locking department at the start of the millennium was a boon for Bay of Plenty.

When Bernie Upton was knocking about in the Wellington B team a few seasons ago, he had serious opposition in his way if he was to make a decent crack at the big time.

Ross Filipo and Kevin O'Neill, now at the Crusaders, present Hurricanes pair Luke Andrews and Ross Kennedy, Milton Ngauomo and veteran Dion Waller were all jostling for attention.

Upton, who is engaging company and clearly a bright bloke, admits he put less than 100 per cent into his rugby in those times. Yet deep down he had an inkling he could prosper if he knuckled down and found the right environment.

"I'm not saying I should have been in the Wellington team because I don't think I'd done enough to warrant a place," he said.

"I thought it would be easier to progress going to a smaller union where you were guaranteed some game time.

"It was a bit sink-or-swim, but if you chuck yourself in at the deep end you learn a lot more and there's nothing like being out there to gain that real confidence."

Waller told Upton he'd seen plenty of good locks in Wellington whose careers had stalled because they had stuck around in the hope of making the grade.

"He had a mate up here he contacted who said there was a vacancy in the Bay team.

"I spoke to [Bay coach and manager] Vern Cotter and Craig Morris and I had a good feeling about it.

"I was finishing my degree and thought if it didn't work out I could fall back on that."

But Upton's not falling back anywhere. He came to the Bay on loan in 2003, and is now preparing for his third NPC campaign this year.

He has also found his feet at the Chiefs in the Super 12, so that Victoria University's marketing and management degree can gather dust for the foreseeable future.

He had one game for the Chiefs last year and when Keith Robinson was counted out this season with lingering injuries, Upton got his chance in the sixth round against the Hurricanes.

He became an automatic pick from that point as the Chiefs finished their season with a roar.

Big and strong with an understated aggressive streak, Upton soaked up the lessons at the Chiefs.

"I think I made big strides. My initial goal was to crack the 22 because we had two All Black locks [Robinson and Jono Gibbes] and Sean Hohneck was the encumbent.

"We started slowly and that led to an opportunity for me. Fozzie [Chiefs coach Ian Foster] wanted me to have a big physical presence and that was the thing I wanted to nail the most during the year."

Upton has bulked up from about 108kg to 115kg and has gained a harder edge to his game.

Another less obvious advance is more mental than physical.

"Previously I hadn't studied the opposition that much. I'd watch Jono and Keith and try to figure out what had taken them to the top. I thought these guys spent a lot of time on analysis so I saddled up next to Robbo to see what to look for.

"I picked up a lot and this year my analysis time is probably going to quadruple what it was in the past. The key to development is pulling on different levers rather than just pulling harder on one."

He watched the Lions' scratchy draw against Argentina last week and liked what he saw in the parts of the game relevant to him.

"In areas that will affect me they looked really proficient. Their lifting and throw accuracy was good.

"It's been pretty well documented that New Zealand locks are a bit thin on the ground and the Lions see that as a strength, so we'll have to figure out ways to counter that."

You won't find B. Upton listed in the rugby almanacs in Colts or national age-group teams. He was what you would call a slow burner in his developing years.

But with worries over New Zealand's locking strength, his performance at Rotorua tomorrow will be watched by important selectorial eyes.

Upton remembers when there were three tiers of locks in New Zealand: the marquee names, an intermediate level of solid, highly competent operators and the up-and-comers. He wonders where the middle level has gone.

Now that he has made significant strides at his new rugby home, Upton harbours the All Black dream, but is taking a realistic and sensible view of the situation.

"I don't want to get too far ahead. A lot of young locks have been thrust forward this year but really you've got to take care of your own game and if anything happens we've got to make sure we're as ready as we can be."

Bernie Upton

Born: September 22, 1981, Upper Hutt.
School: St Pat's College, Silverstream.
Height: 1.98m
Weight: 115kg
Provincial debut: Wellington v Wairarapa Bush, 2002.
Province: Bay of Plenty 2003-04, 24 games.
Super 12: Chiefs 2004-05, seven games.

The record

1930: Lions 25, Bay of Plenty/Poverty Bay/East Coast 11.
1950: Lions 27, Bay of Plenty/Poverty Bay/East Coast 3.
1959: Lions 26, Bay of Plenty/Thames Valley 24.
1966: Lions 6, Bay of Plenty 6.
1971: Lions 20, Bay of Plenty 14.
1977: Lions 23, Bay of Plenty 16.
1988: Lions 34, Bay of Plenty 16.