JOHANNESBURG: A drawn-out eligibility saga and big money offers to leave Australia haven’t disillusioned Henry Speight, the ACT Brumbies winger ready to sign a new two-year deal and set his sights on representing the Wallabies at the 2015 World Cup.
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Speight will sign a new two-year contract with the Brumbies, resisting the temptation to go overseas to rich clubs and a initial interest from the Melbourne Rebels to stay in Canberra.
The Fijian-born winger joins a host of Brumbies who have decided to remain loyal to chase Super Rugby success.
One factor driving Speight is chasing a Wallabies jersey when he becomes eligible for Australian selection in September.
“It was a no-brainer for me to stay and my goal is to make the Wallabies,” Speight said.
“I believe if the team plays well, it gives you the best chance to put your hand up for Wallabies and that’s one of the reasons I stayed as well.
“The goal is to make Wallabies and then to hopefully get a starting spot in the Wallabies. I’d love to be playing at a World Cup.”
Speight joins Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano, Nic White, Jesse Mogg and Scott Fardy in re-committing to the Brumbies.
He’s the only non-Wallaby to be offered a top-up ARU contract to chase his Test dreams.
Fellow winger Joseph Tomane is in contract negotiations and wants to stay with the Brumbies but is also getting rich offers from overseas.
Speight, who is in his fourth season in Canberra, won’t be one of the Brumbies players named in the Wallabies squad on Thursday for the three-Test series against France.
Australia’s leading Super Rugby try-scorer from last season has endured a frustrating wait to be allowed to play for the Wallabies.
The International Rugby Board ruled Speight would have to wait until September before earning a Test jersey.
Speight has been in Australia since the end of 2010 and eligibility rules state players must live in a country for three years before being allowed to play Tests.
But a trip back to New Zealand to play in the ITM Cup delayed Speight’s Wallabies ambitions.
The 26-year-old is firmly on Test coach Ewen McKenzie’s selection radar and Brumbies mentor Stephen Larkham rates Speight as “the best winger in the world”.
“When I [broke my jaw] I wanted to use the time I wasn’t playing to sort out my future and I’m glad it’s done … I’m living off the scraps from the Wallabies boys,” Speight grinned.
“Staying in Canberra gives me the best chance to put my best foot forward for Wallabies selection come September.
“I love Canberra. It is my home now and my preference was always to stay here.”
Speight made his comeback from a broken jaw in the Brumbies’ six-point loss to the Free State Cheetahs last weekend.
Meanwhile, former Brumbies assistant Marco Caputo will resume his professional coaching career with Leinster.
Former Brumbies and Wallabies hooker Caputo has signed a two-year deal to be Leinster's scrum coach.
Caputo joined the Brumbies coaching staff in 2011, but was not part of new coach Jake White's plans for the future when he took over the reins in 2012.
Leinster has also signed Wallabies and NSW Waratahs lock Kane Douglas.
