After finally realising his Super Rugby dream, playmaker David Harvey has set his sights on further entrenching himself in the Western Force set-up ahead of next season.
With the Force’s five-eighth stocks decimated earlier this year, Harvey was plucked from Sydney club ranks and handed a four-match contract with the Perth-based franchise in a bid to ease the load.
The 29-year-old’s deal was soon extended until the end of the season, and his solid form was further rewarded this week with a contract for the 2013 season.
But with the Force on the lookout for a high-profile playmaker for next year, Harvey knows he will have to do everything right in the remaining six games of the season to stay at the forefront of the selection picture.
“I want to try to impress as much as I can and show the Force I can hopefully be the No.1 next season and the No.1 for the rest of this season,” Harvey said ahead of Sunday morning’s clash with the Sharks in Durban.
“I’m really enjoying my time here. I’m learning more and more each week, and each week I feel like I’m contributing more.
“The challenge now is to keep getting better.”
Harvey, who can also play fullback, is the grandson of Australian cricketing legend Neil Harvey, but said he had no regrets about pursuing a career in rugby.
“I started playing cricket when I was younger and wanted to follow in his footsteps, but ended up choosing a different path when I was 19, 20,” Harvey said.
“The way it’s turned out is fantastic for me. I’ve played overseas and met different people and now playing for the Force is a dream for me.”
The Force, who sit last in the Australian conference with just two wins from eight games, will take an unchanged line-up into the match against the seventh-placed Sharks (5-5).
Force: Alfie Mafi, Samu Wara, Nick Cummins, Winston Stanley, Napolioni Nalaga, David Harvey, Brett Sheehan, Matt Hodgson, David Pocock (capt), Richard Brown, Nathan Sharpe, Toby Lynn, Salesi Ma’afu, Nathan Charles, Pek Cowan. Res: Elvis Taione, Salesi Manu, Phoenix Battye, Lachlan McCaffrey, Josh Holmes, Ben Seymour, Rory Sidey.
