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Aussie bids to help Italy beat Ireland
Barnaby Chesterman
http://news.smh.com.au:80/breaking-n...0214-87hk.html
February 14, 2009 - 1:19PM
Two years ago Luke McLean was dreaming about becoming a Super 14 star for Western Force having graduated from the Australian under-19 team but on Sunday the 21-year-old Italy international will be trying to plot Ireland's downfall in the Six Nations.
McLean will be making his fifth appearance for the Azzurri and his first start in the Six Nations following a successful substitute appearance against England last weekend when he replaced the injured Andrea Marcato.
Now he is relishing the decision he took 18 months ago to swap Perth for northern Italy.
"I'd just come back from training with the (Australia) under-19s and I went over to join Western Force to play in the ARC (Australian Rugby Championship) competition for a year (for Perth Spirit)," he said.
"I finished up there and a manager approached me knowing I had an Italian passport.
"It was a choice between either staying at the Western Force on a trainee contract where you could end up playing some (Super) 14 or you could end up nowhere, or to come over here for two years, which I originally signed my contract for, so I more or less flipped a coin and decided to jump at it.
"I've spent a year and a half here now and enjoyed it thoroughly so I'm very glad I made that choice."
McLean qualified to play for Italy through his mother's parents, although he admitted he couldn't speak any Italian before arriving here.
"Both my grandmother and grandfather were born in Italy but my grandfather had to give up his Italian citizenship in order to buy land in Australia, that was before mum was born so I qualified through my grandmother," he added.
Now, as well as trying to adapt to a new country and language, he is having to try to adapt to a new position, or rather re-adapt to an old position.
He normally plays fullback for his club side Calvisano, although McLean has already started two matches for Italy at No.10, against South Africa and Argentina last June.
"I played 10 all my junior career up until pretty much under-19s and then went to fullback so it's not unknown ground but I guess its that change in level from playing 10 at club footy or schoolboy level to playing internationals, you have a bit less time," he said.
"When I first moved to fullback I loved having less responsibility. You don't have the ball in your hand the whole time, you've got a little more room and can use a bit of your speed so I really enjoyed that.
"But now coming back and playing 10, I've enjoyed it a little more and it's made me think at club level I wouldn't mind for the next season trying to play 10 a bit more."
The problem for McLean is that Calvisano are happy with him at fullback and have a specialised flyhalf in New Zealander Gerard Fraser.
But despite his lack of top level experience in this position, club team-mate Paul Griffen, a New Zealander by origin who will line up inside McLean at scrum-half on Sunday, believes the young back has what it takes to succeed.
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