Bay duo called-up for junior All Blacks

Rugby By JAMIE TROUGHTON
Ben Castle's carefully planned Fijian holiday is in disarray but there is a definite silver lining for the Bay of Plenty prop.

Castle and his Steamers' teammate, lock Bernie Upton, received call-ups to the Junior All Blacks' squad yesterday, capping a dramatic rise for the pair through NPC and Super 12.

They assemble in Christchurch later this week before a three-match tour of Australia, including games against Queensland and Australia A.

The only problem was that Castle was on an island off the coast of Fiji when he got the news, having snuck out of the country for a much-needed break on Thursday.

"I didn't really expect to get the call so I thought it would be safe to head away to Fiji for a week or so," Castle said last night from Nadi.

"I was in reception this morning trying to sort out which huts we were staying in and there was a huge queue so I just whipped into the internet room to find out what was happening back home," he said.

"I saw the Junior All Blacks had been named so I scanned through and saw my name in it.

"It's been a pretty hectic last 12 hours - I was due to stay right through until Thursday and then I got this so I've had to get a new flight."

The 25-year-old's flight didn't leave until 4am today, and he had just a couple of days to recover before heading to Christchurch with Upton on Thursday.

The rookie pair are in an extended squad of 29, led by Waikato No 8 Steven Bates and including an astonishing 18 recent All Blacks.

Their Chiefs' teammate Marty Holah is a surprise naming, unlucky to miss All Blacks' selection after his storming game for New Zealand Maori against the Lions on Saturday night, and is joined by try-scoring star wing Joe Rokocoko.

The call-up was far less dramatic for Upton, who was named in the All Black trial two weeks ago but missed it because it clashed with the Steamers' match against the Lions in Rotorua.

He and fiancee Alena found out he'd made the squad when they walked out of church in Mount Maunganui yesterday.

"When I got named in the trial team and couldn't play, it gave me a little bit of an inkling that I might be in the frame and I didn't go too bad against the Lions so thought I might have a reasonable shot," Upton said.

"A few people were telling me during the Super 12 that if I kept playing the way I had been playing, I could surprise myself how far I'd go but as a rugby player, I didn't want to build it up too much because there are always disappointments along the way."

The big disappointment from Bay of Plenty perspectives was the omission of halfback Kevin Senio.