Rugby: Real deal but where's the buck?

Richard Buckman. Photo / File

Life can be cruel to professional rugby players ... even when you are on top of your game.

Just ask Hawke's Bay Magpies centre Richard Buckman. The former Hurricane is an early favourite for the Magpies' back-of-the-year award, yet unlike nine of his Magpies teammates, Buckman, 24, has yet to secure a Super Rugby contract for next year.

"I'm not sure what I have to do. I think I just have to keep playing well for the next two weeks and hopefully something will come up ... but I've had no feedback from any Super Rugby coaches yet," Buckman said before the Magpies flew south yesterday to prepare for tonight's ninth-round ITM Cup clash against the Southland Stags at Invercargill's Rugby Park Stadium.

Something Buckman can't blame for his Super Rugby shun to date this season is a lack of game time. He has played every minute of the Magpies' eight games and is the only player to do so.

While Buckman has clocked up 640 minutes, winger Zac Guildford has 614, prop Brendon Edmonds 587, winger Telusa Veainu 583 and lock Mark Abbott 550.

"I'm making up for last year when I missed every game through injury," Buckman said.

The Napier Boys' High School product agreed if he could continue his recent form against the Stags it must enhance his chances of Super selection.

"Southland are hitting form. They've won their last three games and are a tough team to beat. If we want to win the crucial games at the end of the season we've got to be winning these games we are playing now," Buckman said.

The Stags boast a promising midfield combination in second five-eighth Willis Halaholo and centre Cardiff Vaega, who are both 100kg or heavier. Buckman said this pair would provide another stern challenge for himself and Chiefs utility back Andrew Horrell.

Vaega is a son of former Samoan star To'o Vaega who played for the Magpies and Stags back in the early 1990s.

Last month Buckman was looking forward to marking former All Black Rene Ranger when the Magpies took on Northland but Ranger switched to the wing at the last minute. Southland officials have promised their team, shown above, is the one that will take the field.

"Hopefully we get dry conditions in Invercargill so we can feed our speedsters like we did against North Harbour at the weekend. When we move the ball we're hard to stop," Buckman said.

In addition to boasting the most minutes of all the Magpies, Buckman also boasts the most travelled parents. However tonight's match will be the first his Otorohanga-based parents, Alan and Tracey, miss this season because of the cost of the flights south.

Some niggly shoulder injuries have forced Buckman to take a spell from his favourite hobby of golf. However in his absence from the greens and fairways he has taken a liking to the PlayStation game, Grand Theft Auto.

"I don't think I'm a threat to Jesse [Magpies hooker Jesse MacDonald, who is the best of the Magpies on the PlayStation] yet but it's a good way to rest up between trainings," Buckman said.

The Stags are eager to give hooker David Hall a winning 100th first-class outing for the hosts. With the likes of Chiefs-bound former All Black prop Jamie Mackintosh, the Highlanders quartet of lock Josh Bekhuis and loosies John Hardie, Tim Boys and Elliot Dixon, plus Chiefs fullback Robbie Robinson, they don't lack the necessary ammunition.

The Magpies' defence will have to be as sharp as it was in the weekend's 55-10 win against North Harbour. Expect Buckman to be prominent in this aspect of play again.