Australian-born scrum-half Steve Devine’s extraordinary career will reach another important landmark when he makes his World Cup debut for New Zealand, against Canada, under the Docklands Stadium roof in Melbourne on Friday.
Devine (26) the back-up to Justin Marshall, said he could not wait for the match. ”I’m just proud to be here with the All Blacks and to get the opportunity to play for a team such as New Zealand.
”When I get on the paddock (field) I will be giving it everything I got,” Devine said.
Determination is something that Devine, born in Boggabri in the New South Wales ‘bush’, has always had in abundance. ”I started with rugby league (his father’s sport) but when I went to boarding school I played union and took it up from there,” Devine said.
From starting out on the wing in St Joseph’s College 2nd XV, he moved inside and eventually progressed to Under-21 international level.
But just five years ago the former Australia sevens player was effectively the New South Wales Waratahs’ fourth choice scrum-half, his career with them limited to just five minutes off the bench against Scotland. He then accepted an offer to play for Auckland in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship and effectively pledged his allegiance in 1999 when he made it into the Auckland Blues Super 12 squad.
After being selected for the All Blacks’ 2002 tour of Europe his eligibility to play for New Zealand was called into question after he had made a solitary sevens appearance for Australia in the 1998 Dubai tournament.
But the International Rugby Board (IRB) cleared Devine, saying it accepted that he had checked, under the rules as they were at the time, that he would still be eligible to play Test rugby for New Zealand even if he went to Dubai.
A relieved Devine said after the IRB decision was announced in November: ”It’s a weight off my shoulders. Now I am looking forward to representing New Zealand”.
Later that week Devine made his Test debut for New Zealand at Twickenham in a tight match England won 31-28. The most recent of his seven Tests was in July when Devine came off the bench in the record-breaking 50-21 rout of world champions Australia in Sydney — the most points the Wallabies had ever conceded against New Zealand.
Devine has yet to score a Test try but has every chance of his first against minnows Canada — thrashed 41-10 by Wales in their World Cup opener on Sunday.
Title contenders New Zealand — who demolished Wales 55-3 in June — started the tournament with a 70-7 thrashing of Italy on Saturday. However, Devine insisted the quality of the opposition was of no concern to him. ”It’s always good to go into games with confidence and it’s always great scoring tries.”
Not that he has let the big-time get to his head. Asked how he was enjoying Melbourne, Devine replied: ”Give me Boggabri any day.”
Meanwhile, Canada coach David Clark has made 14 changes to his side. Clark said on Tuesday that his North American minnows had no chance of beating the mighty All Blacks, a team he tipped to win the World Cup.
Centre Marco di Girolamo is the only player retained in the starting line-up from the side that suffered a heavy 41-10 defeat against Wales at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium on Sunday.
Oxford University prop Kevin Tkachuk, who came off the bench to score Canada’s lone try against Wales, lines up in a front row which will see Aaron Abrams make his first start as hooker. Ryan Banks captains the side in place of inspirational back-row forward Al Charron who is being rested.
Clark has insisted that his team could beat both Tonga and Italy and qualify for the quarterfinals. But just four days after Friday’s match here at Docklands, Canada face Italy in Canberra. Clark said it would be foolish of him to have the same players start both games with such a short break in between. – Sapa-AFP