Worthing ace McLean thrives on pressure
VERSATILE utility back Matthew McLean has enjoyed a prolific season for Worthing and says he uses on the pressure of goal kicking to fuel his accuracy.
The 36-year-old is the second highest points scorer in the division with 251, including 13 tries and 172 points from the tee. McLean, below, trails top points scorer Sam Morley by 39 points and believes the Esher fly-half is out of sight.
He said: “Something I’m always driven by is my competitiveness. I’m always looking to try to finish top of the points scoring charts. It’s been a good battle at the top of the charts, Sam Morley is up there from Esher and Luke Cozens has been knocking about from Clifton, so you get a kickers union as you move through the season.
You have conversations with those throughout the year and it’s always good banter and competition. “I’ve kicked well in the past few seasons, and you carry that momentum and confidence into each year. There’s been some tricky games where some of the conditions have been quite tough but by maturing you use the pressure as fuel to become more accurate off the tee.” “Two weeks ago, Morley put 30-plus points on the board which blew me out the water a bit. My barometer is ten points a game which I think is a good haul, as assuming you play all 30 games it means you can get to 300. However, to trail by 39 points with three games to go is probably a bridge too far for me.”
McLean has played in four different positions this year and sees himself as more of a 15, but has enjoyed slotting in at 10.
He said: “In my first three games this year I played in three completely different positions. This season I’ve played 10, 15 and both wings.
“Most of my senior career I’ve predominantly been a 15. I moved to 10 three seasons ago as we were at a low point as a squad, and we needed a different direction. Moving into 10 I enjoyed being in the game in every moment and the focal point in the side, whereas sometimes in the back three the game will pass you by.”
Worthing currently lie fourth in the table and McLean says they can reflect positively on the season despite missing out on the title and promotion.
He added: “This season has been a mixed bag for the right reasons. We’ve made great strides towards where we want to be and have done well to push for promotion. Unfortunately, we’ve fallen away in the last few weeks and have missed out on top spot but we’re looking strong going into next season.”