WHEN Edinburgh centre Phil Burleigh went back to his native New Zealand last month, his plan was to have a relaxing holiday. Instead, he found himself in the latest earthquake to hit Christchurch.
Unfortunately, the seismic shock did not come as a complete surprise to Burleigh, who had also been in the South Island city when it experienced some previous quakes. Indeed, it has now got to the stage where he more or less expects one to take place on his occasional visits home.
“Every time I go back there seems to be a big earthquake,” he said. “I was back last year and we had a 5.8 [on the Richter scale]. I was there for the one in 2010 as I hadn't moved to the [Dunedin-based] Highlanders by then, but I wasn't there for the big one in 2011 when there were a lot of tragic deaths. All the rest I've been there for, unfortunately.
“The one last month was big. It lasted for about two and a half minutes but was quite silent, whereas the other ones were quite loud and scary. I was at my parents’, who live right by the beach, and the tsunami sirens went off a few hours later and there was a lot of traffic on the road trying to get out.
“That was a different experience. I think it was upgraded to a 7.9 in the end and it certainly puts rugby into perspective, for sure. It's a frightening thing and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.”
Burleigh’s spell at the Highlanders from 2012 to 2014 saw him cross swords several times with Australian scrum-half Will Genia, and the Edinburgh player expects to renew acquaintance with the Wallabies captain tomorrow, when Stade Francais visit Murrayfield in the Challenge Cup. Genia was actually in Edinburgh representing his country against Scotland in the Autumn Tests last month when Burleigh was away on holiday, but despite missing that match the New Zealander is well aware of how dangerous the No 9 can be.
“Obviously Will Genia has a big part to do with the way they play, and if he's there again on Saturday we'll have to look at shutting him down,” he added. “I played against him a few times in Super Rugby for Highlanders against the Reds back when they had a pretty good side with Quade Cooper and the likes.
“He always causes a bit of damage around the rucks, that's for sure. But we did all right against the Reds and I think the win-loss record was in our favour.
“His leadership is huge; he's played a lot of international rugby. He's a danger around the rucks. He's got good gas and a really nice pass. His all-round game is good.”
Edinburgh return to European action off the back of a couple of league defeats, but Burleigh is sure that they can return to winning ways provieded they play at their best. “We have to just concentrate on our own game. There are a few things we've lacked in the last couple of weeks - we've tried to put those straight this week at training. I'd like to think if we do, as you've seen before against Harlequins and Ulster, we can beat these big teams. It's just the top two inches. If we can get that right I'm confident we can.
“We're working hard in training and some things just aren't clicking on the field. It's a players’ thing: we know we have to correct it and I'm sure in the next few weeks we will.
“It's about putting everything together as a full package. We've got to play as a 15 or a 23 really, as the guys off the bench are just important. We've got to cut those individual errors out.”
After playing against Stade Francais tomorrow then again in Paris on Thursday, Edinburgh are at home to Glasgow on Boxing Day before ending their year on Hogmanay with a trip to Parma. That PRO12 match will now kick off at noon local time - 11am in the UK - and will be shown only on Eurosport Italia.
Glasgow Warriors are in Treviso the same day for a match that will kick off at 2.05pm local time (1.05pm in Britain). That match will be broadcast on BBC Alba as well as Eurosport Italia.
SCOTTISH referees are again conspicuous by their absence from the list of match officials for next year’s Six Nations Championship, issued yesterday by World Rugby. Referees from France, Ireland, England and Wales will take charge of the matches, along with others from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Italy are represented on the list by Marius Mitrea, who will be one of two assistants in the Ireland-England game on the last day of the tournament. Craig Maxwell-Keys, an assistant for the England-Wales game, is listed as having been born in Stirling but is part of the RFU system.
Romain Poite of France will take charge of Scotland’s opening game, against Ireland at Murrayfield on 4 February. The team’s subsequent matches will be refereed by Jaco Peyper of South Africa, John Lacey of Ireland, and Mathieu Raynal and Pascal Gauzere, both of France.
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