Reds code-hopping wing Suliasi Vunvalu says Dave Rennie’s focus on speed had a significant mental strain on him and resulted in several injuries.
Vunivalu only made the switch to rugby union in 2021, making just 14 appearances for the Reds since due to a string of injuries, hamstrings in particular, that kept him sidelined.
Speed, speed, speed
The speedster revealed that former Wallabies head coach Rennie was so obsessed with speed in his game that it put him under a different kind of pressure to the point where he was caught up in his head.
“Every interview (with Rennie) was just based on speed, speed, speed,” he told AAP.
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“It put pressure on me; I started getting my technique wrong and I kept pulling my hamstring.
“I struggled mentally, dealing with serious back-to-back injuries for the first time, I didn’t have confidence getting back and running full speed.
“I’ve never been that guy, I never hit top speed until game day… I’d been focused too much on trying to get my speed back, I forgot about the footy.
“Now that’s behind me… I just want the footy in my hands again.”
Vunivalu spent most of the 2022 Test season in the Wallabies camp but only played three minutes in his lone Test appearance.
The star admitted spending time in the squad and holding ruck pads took a toll on him, and he began questioning his involvement in the Wallabies set-up.
“I was feeling like that in (Wallabies) camp. All I could see was that next week I would be holding pads again (and not playing) and I know some of the other Reds boys felt the same,” he said.
“We felt if we weren’t playing we’d rather come back and play club footy.
“I was being pushed down the line; it gave me head noise and I started thinking, ‘Am I supposed to be here?’.
Eddie Jones factor
Everything has changed now in Australian rugby as veteran head coach Eddie Jones returned to the Wallabies head coaching role at the expense of Rennie. The change is good news for Vunivalu as the former England coach is known for his love of rugby league players.
Jones also acknowledged the speedster’s concerns about over-training.
“It’s good to hear him say that and has the same thinking,” Vunivalu said.
“He’s had a history, likes his league players. But I’m not going to stick by that thinking it’ll be spoon fed to me.
“I have to put in work to get him to pick me.”