Steamer Bourke Up Against Dayglo.

Steamers No 8 Colin Bourke will face English and Lions veteran Lawrence Dallaglio on Saturday.

Steamers No 8 Colin Bourke will face English and Lions veteran Lawrence Dallaglio on Saturday. A bit of fire in the belly is never a bad thing for any rugby player and Steamers No 8 Bourke feels like he’s been force-fed a few hot chillies of late.

Bay of Plenty’s find of the season last year has had to digest a couple of raw dishes in the last couple of weeks and he’s determined to take it out on the British Lions on Saturday night.

The 20-year-old had to endure his Highlanders side narrowly missing out on the Super 12 playoffs and discovered last week he was a shock omission from the New Zealand Colts side for their World Cup tournament.

“I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t fired me up, not being picked,” Bourke admitted. “I don’t want to go out with a state of mind thinking I’ve got to prove these guys wrong but I do want to go out and do my bit for the team.”

Bourke had a quiet debut Super 12 season after being picked up in the draft by the Highlanders, playing a handful of matches off the bench at the start of the competition before being overlooked for their late charge home. But he was still one of only three Super 12 players to trial for the Colts and with his outstanding range of skills, should have bolted in.

Forwards coach Dennis Brown had other ideas, however. “With the mix of team members they were going with, he said he wanted a different sort of No 8, and that any other coach would probably pick me but he wanted a tight No 8. It’s his choice and as the old saying goes, ‘it’s only one man’s opinion’.”

Typically, Bourke was shrugging off his misfortune, although his outstanding versatility has meant he’s been cruelly treated by national selectors in the past. “I trialed for the Colts last year as well but that was at fullback. Never mind. I haven’t been too successful with age-grade teams – I missed out on the under-16s and under-19s so I’m getting used to the disappointment.”

The former Hawke’s Bay representative’s last tangle with the Lions was 12 years ago on Napier’s McLean Park, when he was a ball-boy during the Magpies’ famous 29-17 win over the tourists.

Saturday’s game will bring vastly different circumstances, however, as he’ll be opposing fearsome English No 8 Lawrence Dallaglio. “It will be like last year’s NPC where I’d watched a lot of the guys I was playing against on TV. I’d cheered for them at times, when they were playing for the All Blacks.

“It will be crazy playing against Dallaglio but at the same time fun playing against those guys and seeing how good you are.”

Bourke has already proven he’s got a temperament for the big occasion. He was magnificent in the Bay’s Ranfurly Shield loss to Canterbury last year and made a withering, try-saving, match-winning tackle on All Black captain Tana Umaga against Wellington.

He’s also put his time at the Highlanders to good effect – picking the brains of former All Black No 8 Paul Miller and relishing the professional environment. “I enjoyed my time with the Highlanders and learned a heap so I just want to get back and put it into practice.

“But it’s also good to finally be back in the family, back in the Bay. The talk in the last couple of days within the team has been all positive and it’s all about self-belief this week.”

Bay of Plenty Times