The story behind Bundee Aki's freshly-toned rig: 'There are muscles on muscles'
France midfielder Virimi Vakatawa is viewed as one of the world’s current on-form centres, but Fabien Gathie’s outside centre will have his hands full on Saturday night in Paris dealing with muscular Ireland No12 Bundee Aki.
The New Zealander has become a fixture in the Irish XV since qualifying under the three-year residency rule in November 2017, the 30-year-old starting in 26 of Ireland’s 33 matches since then.
Having helped his adopted country to Grand Slam glory in 2018, he will now look to help them clinch the 2020 Six Nations title with a Stade de France bonus-point win over the French.
And he will do so looking very different then was the case in previous times with Ireland.
In the early days, the IRFU match programme habitually mixed him up with Garry Ringrose, giving him the Leinster centre’s 92kg weight in their player profile.
“The Bundee that came in at the end of lockdown was a bit frightening, seriously intimidating. You’re looking at him and there’s muscles on muscles.” Connacht attack coach, Nigel Carolan.
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Details in away match programmes, though, were closer to the mark, Aki regularly listed as 101kgs on his travels, but he took action in the lead-up to last year’s World Cup and then used the lockdown lay-off to give his rig a quite menacing appearance.
Speaking to The XV about the centre’s rejuvenated look, Connacht assistant coach Nigel Carolan explained: “He’s gone through a total transformation. He was actually quite chunky a few years ago.
“He’d still have been bringing that physicality but he’d have been carrying a bit of excess too. Going into the World Cup last year, for whatever reason, he stripped it all back and was down to about 90 kilos. He felt being leaner would assist him. He sort of stripped it down and now built it back up.
“Going into lockdown, he was in a fairly confined space and I’d be getting videos of the skills work he was doing, he’d be kicking tennis balls against the wall and that sort of thing. I was thinking it was fantastic how he was applying himself but I didn’t see the physical progress as it was ongoing. The Bundee that came in at the end of lockdown, he was a bit frightening, seriously intimidating. You’re looking at him and there are muscles on muscles.”
Scotland back row Ryan Wilson, a co-host on the RugbyPass Offload show, suggested another reason why fans can’t ignore the presence of Aki these days. Reflecting on Glasgow’s opening round 2020/21 PRO14 defeat in Ireland, he said: “It was weird because Bundee Aki actually made me cringe a little bit how much he was going at it [trash talking].
“I even asked a couple of his players, ‘Like, you boys most be struggling?’… there is a good way to do it and there is a way which is like, ‘C’mon, rein it in a bit pal’.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments