Title win would be a dream for Burleigh
There’s only one thing missing for Phil Burleigh.
Win the Mitre 10 Cup final against Auckland at Eden Park today and the Canterbury vicecaptain will have his perfect year.
The 32-year-old one-test Scottish international returned home to Christchurch this year with a few goals: be a regular starter for his province, help them win a 10th title in the past 11 years, and secure a Super Rugby contract.
Burleigh, who will start at second-five today, did enough early in the campaign to secure a contract with the Tony Brown-coached Sunwolves this month, joining Northland’s Rene Ranger in Japan next year.
‘‘Dream come true coming back and playing for my home province, where I was born,’’ Burleigh said.
‘‘To make it to a final, if we were to win on Saturday, it would be a dream come true.’’
Burleigh, a former Chief and Highlander, spent four years playing in the northern hemisphere before returning. Earlier this season, he admitted the speed of the game, and growing accustomed to expecting the unexpected pass, had taken a while to grasp.
However, the veteran has been a key cog in Canterbury’s leadership group in a season they’ve fielded 15 debutants, and lost co-captain Whetukamokamo Douglas to a thumb injury early in the running.
In addition to Douglas, they also lost hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate (neck) during their 8-2 regular season. Props Siate Tokolahi (knee) and Oli Jager (shoulder) haven’t played all year, nor has hooker Ben Funnell (knee).
Chuck in the loss of lock Dominic Bird (Racing 92), midfielders Tim Bateman (Japan) and Rob Thompson (Manawatu), and pivot Richie Mo’unga (All Blacks) and you have a vastly different team from the one which won it all a year ago.
Just 10 players from the 23 which beat Tasman in last year’s final will front against Auckland, while just six will don the same jersey number as they did in the 2017 decider.
‘‘We talk about it every week, it’s been installed over years and years,’’ Burleigh said of the overwhelming drive to continue Canterbury’s proud legacy.
They have a chance to notch their 15th provincial title, which would pull them to within one of Auckland’s record 16 crowns.
‘‘I think we’ve had 15 debutants this year, and it just keeps growing. To make another final with that many debutants is pretty cool,’’ he said. ‘‘I know it’s a final, but you’ve just got to stay in the moment and enjoy it for what it is. We’ve got a lot of young guys, but some of them have got pretty good heads on them. They know what they’re in for.’’
Minus the expected loss of loosehead Joe Moody to the All Blacks, Canterbury coach Joe Maddock has named an unchanged side from the one which pipped Tasman in the semifinal last week.
Alex Hodgman has replaced Moody in the starting side, while Harry Allan will come off the bench.
‘‘I think after we saw the performance against Tasman it probably made things a little bit easier. We knew we got the mix right for that game and that they would likely be the boys that would go out and do it again,’’ Maddock said.
For the first-year head coach, who helped Canterbury win titles as an assistant coach under Scott Robertson (two) and Glenn Delaney
(one) the past three years, the message to his troops has been simple: enjoy the week and worry about ourselves.
Of course, there has been some focus on Auckland’s threats – Maddock singled out Akira Ioane – but not as much as on their own structures and patterns.
‘‘It’s a final. The hard part is getting here, and the boys have worked really hard to do that. We’re in with a chance, it’s just about enjoying the week, enjoy each others’ company. Sunday morning, we’ll all go separate ways and that will be the season.’’