Christ Tshinuza: 'I couldn’t believe it, your whole body feels it'

It was quite the July Test series in Australia for Christ Tshinuza, the apprentice forward confidently making his way in the world of international rugby with Wales. Having recovered from the broken foot that sidelined him since the Rugby World Cup, he was recalled to Warren Gatland’s squad following a busy end-of-season run with Exeter.

Rob Baxter’s Chiefs had played him at openside but Gatland instead reprised the role he had given the 22-year-old in his sole France 2023 start, selecting Tshinuza in the second row alongside his club colleague Dafydd Jenkins.

That was a novel experience in Nice versus Portugal, his No4 selection coming after three previous Test starts with the No6 blindside jersey on his back. Ten months later, he was back to start on successive Saturdays in Australia... in the No4 shirt.

Switching positions, on paper, mightn’t sound like much of a fuss, especially as there are already some forwards in the modern game who double up as versatile lock/back row picks. Tshinuza, though, laid bare the exhausting difference this switch can have as second row makes a player more scrum-focused compared to being in the back row.

“It’s legs, your legs. You have so much less in the legs,” he said when asked by RugbyPass to describe the toll the positional change from third to second row has when scrummaging.

“I’d say it is the equivalent of every scrum someone asking you to do a set of squats mid-game. That’s what scrummaging in the second row is like. Heavy squats mid-game and you can imagine if I asked you to play a game and every couple of minutes do a big squat, go out and again and then do a big squat, it adds up.

“So the biggest difference of playing second row was the toll the scrum has on your legs. You feel like you have less, compared to back row anyway. I feel like my legs definitely felt it a bit more.

“You can’t run. I couldn’t believe it. I played second row when I was younger, when I was like 16, but the difference in force that goes through your legs the higher up you go is visible. Your whole body feels it.”

Did he mind experiencing this added burden? “It's definitely something you get used to. I’m quite a person where I’d rather be sore all the time than freshen up. If I am going to play a position I would find it easier as I would get used to always having really full legs.”

Weight is also an important element when playing second row and Tshinuza’s tour experience has heightened his respect for more seasoned locks such as Jenkins, his Chiefs pal.

“I went up to 121 and I dropped down to 117, 118 weight-wise. The other second rows, the No5 is usually heavier, usually in and around the 120 to 125 mark, so they will just naturally go behind the tighthead just for the extra couple of kilograms. It’s very rare that you will find a second row under 118, 117.

“I wouldn’t say there was fear or nerves, I guess it’s just in the second row there is just so much weight coming on to you and so much weight you are trying to give and you just get up and you’re a bit more lightheaded whereas in the back row, it’s only just you, you try your best but then it’s next job mentality.

“But in the second row, you come up and you’re a bit lightheaded and you hope and pray that one of the backs haven’t dropped the ball because then you have got to scrum again.

“I really do appreciate the work ethic of second rows. They probably don’t get enough credit because scrums, especially if you are in the middle of the scrum, is just one of those things outside looking in you don’t really see the effort that they are going through in the scrums and also mauls.

“The camera doesn’t really get to pick up on stuff like that and people don’t really get their credit but second row is definitely a tough position along with the front row. Second row is a tough position to play.”

Standing at six foot six and currently tipping the scales at 118kg, Tshinuza started all three of Wales’ tour matches in Australia, slotting in at blindside in a try-scoring appearance in the trip-ending game at the Reds in Brisbane.

It has since emerged he was managing a shoulder from the first Test, an ailment that will keep him out of the Exeter mix for a few more weeks. Last Wednesday, for instance, he arrived at a first-floor function room at Sandy Park mentioning that he had just had a steroid jab and will now wait to see how it reacts.

The injury was why he had not had a full tour debrief with his Exeter coaches. “Not a proper one-on-one conversation just because when I came back from my time off everything was all medically am I alright, what’s going on with my shoulder and it was more let’s fix that more than the rugby side of it.

“So I haven’t actually spoken to the coaches much about the rugby, they have just been more concerned about my well-being. I got a slight tear in one of my tendons in my shoulder but it’s really small and they think they can keep it under wraps and be ready for the start of the season. I haven’t had a massive rugby-based conversation with the coaches yet but I am sure it will happen.”

Would he recommend more players seeking to be positionally versatile, similar to his situation? “I wouldn’t recommend for someone to be mixing in and out of positions because I am a strong believer in mastering one skill,” he explained.

“Very few people are lucky enough to have attributes where they can cover more than one position and if in your head you are trying to play 10 and 13 or wing and full-back before you have mastered one, it could be tough for some people who don’t have the natural ability to do it.

“Just because I have always been fast my whole life and when I was younger that was why I initially got moved to back row and then I have been tall as well luckily and that gives me the option to play second row as well, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone to try and master both positions, especially young kids.

“Maybe if you are an Itoje (Maro, the England forward) for example, someone who has been in the game a long time, if you get picked at six and you know the game and you learn the game, then it probably isn’t a big change but for young kids or younger players I wouldn’t recommend trying to master two positions.”

It would be nice, though, to be considered a player who can capably play these different roles. Especially in a British and Lions tour season, it’s the sort of ability that can squeeze someone into the tour squad in areas where selection is so tightly contested.

“Humbly enough I’d be very open and say I don’t think I’ll be a Lions second row anytime soon but I’ll give it my best go.”