National U19 MVP Gamble a happy man

Canterbury U19 captain and flanker Charlie Gamble received the Sir DJ Graham Award in recognition for his outstanding performances over the three days of action at the recent Jock Hobbs Memorial National U19 in Taupo. Canterbury beat Waikato 41-35 in the final. 

Marist Albion's Gamble was one of five Canterbury players who featured in the 2014 final defeat to Wellington. An openside flanker he confronted the likes of Mitchell Karpik, Blake Gibson and Mitchell Jacobson (all of whom are playing ITM Cup) at last year’s tourney.

In 2013 Gamble was the National Secondary Schools discus champion and had travelled to Australia and Ukraine representing New Zealand in athletics.

The temptation to remain in athletics after school was strong.

“I really enjoyed athletics. I liked the travel and meeting different people. I chose to stay with rugby because I was in the Crusaders Academy and like the team component of the game,” Gamble explains.

On Saturday Gamble was awarded the Sir DJ Graham Medal as the most valuable player of the Jock Hobbs Memorial National U19 tournament.

Canterbury beat Waikato 41-35 in a thrilling final to claim the title. Gamble scored two tries in the decider, but was genuinely surprised to receive the accolade.

“It was a shock to be honest. There were so many good players at the tournament, but I am humbled and stocked to win it,” he says.

Canterbury appeared to have little chance of winning the final when they slumped to a 21-3 deficit. However the sin binning of Waikato’s Shelford Murray before halftime saw Canterbury score two tries and reduce the margin to four points at the break.

Gamble admits the yellow card was a turning point but he is convinced Canterbury would have won anyway.

“You need a bit of luck to win a final, but I think we were still in the game. We showed when we kept to our structures we could pressure Waikato and create chances,” he says.

Canterbury’s structure and aggression on attack was a key component in their win. The original plan was to play expansively and stretch Waikato, but that changed as the game progressed.

“Our game plan was to pick and go, try and draw in their defence before going wide. We noticed as the game went on their big men were tiring so we just attacked up the middle and fortunately it worked,” Gamble says.

What did Gamble make of the competition this year?

“It was really good as usual, but it was nice to play people my age. Mitchell and Blake are pretty exceptional. I marked DuPlessis Kirifi from Taranaki. He was really solid on the tackle and quick over the ball. He plays with a lot of guts. Jahrome Brown from Waikato was different. He was more of a ball carrier and hit really hard.”

Gamble hit hard when he was a member of the St. Bede’s College First XV between 2011 and 2013. He was a Crusaders Knights representative and enjoyed immense success at school.

In 2011 he was he won a UC Championship and was a member of a side that achieved 15 victories in 17 games and attended the National Top Four.

Interestingly Yoshikazu Fujita was the top try scorer for St. Bede’s in 2011 with 17 tries. He has gone onto to score 25 tries in 27 tests for Japan. Along with Luke Thompson, Shota Horie and Michael Leitch he is one of four St. Bede’s old boys playing for the Brave Blossoms at the World Cup.

In 2012 St. Bede’s were runners up to Christchurch Boys’ High School and in 2013 they finally lost their 62-game unbeaten streak at home when they were tipped over by Nelson College in the semi-final.

Gamble plays his senior rugby for Marist Albion. They made the semi-finals and held Lincoln to a draw in the round robin – the best result any side achieved against the champions.

Veteran Rowan O’Gorman is a man Gamble greatly admires.

“Rowan is a champion bloke. He is tough as old boots. He is the only guy I have seen score a try without his shirt on. This year we were playing a game and his shirt was pulled off in a tackle. Instead of stopping to put it back on, he played on and scored a try, beer gut showing and all,” Gamble laughs.

In an attempt to look more grizzly himself Gamble has grown a Charlie Chaplin like moustache that was on full display in Taupo. Gamble shares the history of the mo.

“I started growing it last year and haven’t touched it. I want to look older and tougher than I actually am.”