Harbour's mighty midget

By CHRIS RATTUE

Chad Alcock bounces out of the North Harbour dressing room at Albany as if he's set for another 80 minutes of rugby.

He has just helped dump Northland further in the mire, a week after his first NPC start, when he sparked a struggling Harbour outfit to their opening victory of the season in Wellington.

A minute into a conversation with the Herald, the 30-year-old Alcock springs away to open the Northland dressing room door for an opponent laden with gear. The man never stops.

Alcock cuts a contrast with the persona of Harbour coach Russell Jones, who ambles out some time later, talking as cautiously as he walks.

Jones is not about to laud any of his players at this point, given North Harbour's awful start to the season, although he must be tempted in Alcock's case.

The diminutive South African has arrived at Albany like a little sunbeam. Suddenly their season is more hope than nope.

There is a touch of the Sid Going to Alcock, in looks and the way he bounces around a game. This may be sacrilege, given the former's legendary status, but since others have remarked on the similarity it's worth a mention. He has certainly had an impact, beyond the likeness.

Maybe, without the weight of expectation which hangs over North Harbour, Alcock feels free to play his own game and in doing so, inject new spirit into the side.

"I've come here blind ... I'll just play how I know how and play the best I can," he said.

"It's difficult for players when they don't want to make a mistake because they might get dropped."

In South Africa, where he played for the Cats and Sharks in the Super 12, Alcock was a noted wet-weather footballer.

He lived up to that reputation at Westpac Stadium, a ground of fond memories, including a wonderful try for the Sharks in the first Super 12 game there in 2000. He was everywhere against Wellington and scored the match-sealing try.

Early in the match against Northland, he ignored the directions of his team-mates, took a quick penalty, then floated a pass to put Matua Parkinson away for a try. Alcock had already scored the first, after backing up a break by Nick Evans and Tusi Pisi.

During the game he was caught at the back of some rucks and tumbled as he was about to embark on a run. But even when things don't go right, he's likely to spring back off the turf and dance upfield.

It was Alcock who made the late first-half charge that led to an Evans penalty, and seconds before his late-game substitution, he roared off his goal line on a conversion-charging mission, even though Northland were already beaten. Irrepressible to the end.

Alcock made the Springboks' 1998 European tour, playing in four mid-week games.

Born and bred in Port Elizabeth, he played nine seasons for Eastern Province, but it was their Currie Cup relegation that prompted him and his wife, Liza, to look overseas.

"Unfortunately, playing for a smaller province did my career no good. It didn't matter how well I played," said Alcock, who trained as a rod and fly maker in his father's business.

"The upside was that I was treated very well there, especially by the public. But my career has been a bit frustrating through staying loyal."

He had little time to decide where to play overseas, and jumped at North Harbour's offer. He hopes it will lead to a new Super 12 contract after he missed our this year.

"I told my agent it doesn't have to be a money move," he says, which is just as well for North Harbour's sake.

"The NPC ... that's somewhere where I wanted to play. I didn't really know a thing about North Harbour except it was near Auckland.

"I just knew the NPC was tough rugby. It has been a fantastic start here, but it's down to the team. It's nothing special that I've done.

"I'm very pleased I made the move - I'll definitely come back if they want me."


NPC points table