Lock, stock and barrelling

By RICHARD BOOCK

Who is that man Dave Duley?

That was the cry after the Waikato lock engineered two magical moments in the win over Northland in Whangarei on Sunday.

It is not that Duley is a complete unknown. The 26-year-old has played 18 NPC games for Bay of Plenty.

But the 113kg Duley found the spotlight by running down the brilliant Fijian wing Rupeni Caucaunibuca after an 80m chase, and launching a 70m run which almost brought a spectacular try.

Duley might have been playing for Queensland but for a call from former Bay of Plenty coach Gordon Tietjens, who was tipped off to Duley's New Zealand connection two years ago.

Duley was raised in Matamata but, at the age of 12, he and two sisters headed to the Gold Coast with their father.

He attended Southport School, one of the private schools where rugby has a stronghold in Australia, and locked the first XV scrum with future Wallaby Nathan Sharpe - the pair are still good mates. (Old boys included Nathan Grey and Mat Rogers).

Duley represented Australian schoolboys, touring Britain, then Australian Colts in a team including future All Black Steve Devine, Irish international Keith Gleeson, and Wallabies Jeremy Paul, Ben Darwin, Manny Edmonds, Scott Staniforth and Elton Flatley, another mate of Duley's.

"Once I'd played for the Aussie Colts I thought, yep, maybe I can make the Wallabies," Duley says.

"I've always had a soft spot for the All Blacks, though, and I'm a full All Blacks supporter now.

"I'll be going for them at the World Cup, even though I've got a few mates in the Wallabies."

Although Duley was on the fringe of the Queensland squad, his path on to the field was blocked by John Eales, Mat Cockbain, Mark Connors and Sharpe, and he wanted to try his hand in the NPC.

After spending two years with the Steamers, in which they staved off relegation, Waikato came calling.

"I was looking for a bit of a change and it was a great opportunity to play for a professional outfit," says Duley, who hopes to secure a Chiefs contract. "I was born in Matamata, my mum still lives there, and it was an easy decision to make."

Duley was sidelined for five months because of a wrist injury, then played a couple of games for Waikato B last month.

He made his Waikato NPC debut against Wellington in Hamilton, playing 3 1/2 minutes as a replacement, before bursting into view with those two stunning moments against Northland.

Early in the match, Duley - who was guarding the fringes of a ruck - reacted to a turnover and did the seemingly impossible by turning and overhauling Caucaunibuca, throwing him into the corner to prevent a try. Okay, so Rupeni is not in peak condition. But Duley's resolve was impressive.

Late in the game, Duley rampaged along the same touchline, getting rid of another Fijian wing, Fero Lasagavibau, in the process before fullback Jared Going just denied him a spectacular try.

"It was just awesome after being out for so long to play 80 minutes and obviously good to have a bit of a run like that, even though that wasn't the aim," Duley says, in modest forward tones.

Duley's Australian connections originally scored him the nickname Dingo, but Waikato captain Jono Gibbes modified that to Ernie after Ernie Dingo, the Aboriginal actor of outback origins. So it was "Ernie" who won the accolades from his mates on the field.

"You know the nickname has stuck when they use it in the game."