Guildford enjoying his life in ‘the Tron’
at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, 7.35pm
at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo, Zac Guildford is loving life in Hamilton as he bids to resurrect his rugby career.
The former All Blacks winger made his debut for Hamilton Old Boys as they beat champions Melville 18-7 in round one of Waikato premier club rugby on Saturday.
Guildford moved to ‘the Tron’ last November with nothing set in stone.
He had no job. No contract. Nothing but a phone call from Roger Randle to go on and a chance to play for Waikato’s sevens in the summer.
But Guildford now feels at home in Hamilton, where the Old Boys club has created a pathway for him to potentially get picked up by Waikato’s Mitre 10 Cup squad.
‘‘I’m loving it and I’ve been here since November now, so it is pretty much like home,’’ Guildford said of ’the Tron’.
‘‘I was a bit anxious when I was called up to play sevens and I came up here with pretty much nothing. No contract or anything.
‘‘So I’m still working away and trying my best.’’
Old Boys also helped Guildford get a full-time job working 9-5 at sportswear manufacturer Kukri.
After a troubled past, the 28-year-old with 11 All Blacks caps feels settled at Waikato’s most successful ever club, who’ve won 14 titles since the premier competition began in 1967.
‘‘They’ve looked after me really well and I work with a few of the boys, so it’s a family group,’’ he added.
Guildford said he’s back on track after a turbulent 2016, when his rugby career looked in tatters after leaving the Waratahs for ‘wellbeing reasons’, before he was omitted from Tasman’s NPC squad despite signing in May.
His 2017 has started positively as Guildford impressed for Waikato in the national sevens tournament, where the Mooloos finished runners-up to Counties Manukau in January.
Guildford’s return to the 15-man game, after a brief stint with his hometown team Wairarapa Bush in the Heartland Championship last year, has kicked off well with Old Boys gaining revenge for losing the 2016 club final to Melville.
With Chiefs outside back Sam McNicol at fullback and Waikato’s Sevu Reece on the right wing, Guildford wore the No 13 jersey and was in the thick of it in midfield as Melville’s defence, which was the meanest in Waikato in 2016, got in his face whenever they could.
‘‘It was definitely physical and I will be feeling it a bit tomorrow,’’ Guildford said after the match.
‘‘I was a little bit rusty and it wasn’t as free flowing as we would have liked at times.
‘‘But we’re pretty happy with the win considering they won it [the competition] last year.’’
Guildford will still have to convince New Zealand Rugby he deserves another crack, after general manager Neil Sorenson told him in January the governing body were not prepared to welcome him back yet.
If Guildford is a reformed character, and if his form for Old Boys catches the eye of Waikato’s NPC coaches, then the first major step on his road to recovery could be a Mooloos contract.
Old Boys’ first try against Melville came after Reece and Guildford combined; the latter broke the line and offloaded to halfback Raniera Takarangi to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.
Melville hit back on the stroke of half-time through hooker John Otto’s try, but Old Boys kept the defending champions scoreless in the second half; Reece and Jonty Rae’s boot earning an 18-7 victory as they regained the Stag Trophy.
Hautapu top the ladder after round one courtesy of a resounding 44-11 win over University, where they scored seven tries at Memorial Park.
Otorohanga grabbed a 31-22 bonus point victory at Hamilton Marist after tries to Jason Sione, Joe Perawiti, John Jackson and Freman Te Whare.
Marist earned a losing bonus point but Te Hata Wilbore’s boot was the difference, as the Otorohanga first five-eighth kicked a conversion, two penalties and a drop goal at Marist Park.
Southern United’s return to the premier competition started with defeat but they claimed a losing bonus point at Te Awamutu Sports as Evaan Reihana kicked six penalties in a 23-16 victory at Albert Park.
Fraser Tech held on to start 2017 with a narrow 20-19 victory against United Matamata Sports.