by Rupert Bates
The Age, Melbourne
The boy handed Greg Inglis his match programme to sign, only he did not have a clue it was the big Melbourne Storm superstar. “Who was that?” asked the young Harlequins rugby league fan across the road from England’s rugby union headquarters of Twickenham.
Who was that? Well that was arguably the best rugby player in the world in either code. To be fair the Storm centre was wrapped in several layers of tracksuits, with a beanie pulled down to keep out the biting cold of what has been a long, white winter in England.
Cold? This was London; positively tropical compared to the snowy North of England and Leeds, where tomorrow morning (5.30am) the NRL champions take on Leeds Rhinos, kings of English Super League, in the Gillette World Club Challenge.
First port of rugby call for the Storm, after taking in the Houses of Parliament, a Premier League soccer game at Arsenal and a West End Musical, was the Twickenham Stoop - home to Harlequins rugby league side, who share the ground with their far more famous union counterparts.
Union and league in commercial partnership in the shadow of Twickenham Stadium, where not so long ago anybody playing the 13-man code would have been carted to the Tower of London and pelted with rotten fruit along the way.
Inglis, recovering from a hip complaint, stretched his legs for 40 minutes in a convincing hit-out win for Storm, as a warm-up for the bigger challenge tomorrow.
Warm-up was pushing it, as the rain lashed down. When the fireworks went off at the start of the match - we are not talking Sydney Harbour Bridge on New Year’s Eve here - it would have been no surprise to see Craig Bellamy’s side plunge their hands into the flames for warmth.
“We may have come from 35 degrees heat, but the weather does not bother me. We are here to win the World Club Challenge and keep it on Aussie soil, especially after losing to the Rhinos here two years ago,” said Inglis.
There is a steelier sense of purpose this time; a realisation that this is the seminal cross-hemisphere battle for global club supremacy, rather than a very long journey for a spot of game time before the start of the NRL season.
“It is a chance for us to take on the best the English Super League has to offer. If we are going to moan about the cold, we might as well go home. We are here to win the trophy,” said Storm full-back Billy Slater.
Elland Road, home to the Leeds United soccer side who sensationally knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup this season, proved a happy hunting ground for Storm players last November when Australia beat England in the final of the Four Nations, including a hat-trick from Slater and tries from Inglis and Cameron Smith.
Inglis in full flight is one of the great sights in all sport, combining pace, power and athleticism. He seems to be in another place, when he runs - and he is.
“I just find a zone when I run and nothing else matters. It becomes clear to me what I need to do. I am sure every athlete has those moments,” said Inglis. I am sure they do not. Inglis is Forrest Gump with a sledgehammer fend-off and a fluidity and balance that could sidestep chocolates in a box.
As one great rugby player from afar temporarily lights up England; another is heading the other way to play for the Melbourne Rebels in the union code. Inglis looks blank when you mention Danny Cipriani, the young England outside-half, and has to be reminded.
“It is great to have a Super 15 side and adds to Melbourne’s reputation as the sports capital of Australia. Obviously AFL is still the main sport and the Rebels are going to be competing with us for ticket sales and the marketing dollar,” said Inglis.
Would he ever consider switching codes, or just countries and a spell in the English Super League?
“I am very happy where I am at the Storm. I am only 23, so a move is not out of the question. It is an option down the track to come over to England and then return home.”
Now is about the World Club Challenge, with the match up between Smith, if he plays hooker and Danny Buderus, the former Kangaroos captain now with the Rhinos, one of the clashes to savour, while the young Englishman in Storm colours Gareth Widdop is back in his native Yorkshire.
“It is always intense against Melbourne. Cameron has brought his own set of skills to the game and changed the style of play across the sport. I am looking forward to facing him again,” said Buderus.
Leeds Rhinos (from): Brent Webb, Brett Delaney, Keith Senior, Ryan Hall, Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow, Kylie Leuluai, Danny Buderus, Jamie Peacock, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Ali Lauiititi, Kevin Sinfield, Matt Diskin, Greg Eastwood, Ryan Bailey, Ian Kirke, Luke Burgess, Jay Pitts, Kallum Watkins.
Melbourne Storm (from): Billy Slater, Gareth Widdop, Luke MacDougall, Dane Nielsen, Anthony Quinn, Greg Inglis, Brett Finch, Aiden Tolman, Jeff Lima, Jesse Bromwich, Adam Blair, Ryan Tandy, Cameron Smith, Ryan Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hoffman, Kevin Proctor, Todd Lowrie, Rory Kostjasyn, Hep Cahill.
Referee: Richard Silverwood
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