Naiyaravoro on how getting his bodyweight down to 124kg is paying off
Giant Waratahs wing Taqele Naiyaravoro says winning a battle with his own massive bodyweight has been key in a change in his form at the Waratahs.
The Northampton Saints bound wing reveals that after losing 12kg of bodyweight, he is feeling both faster, fitter and in a better position to play the game.
"It was the toughest pre-season for the Waratahs I've ever done and that's basically paying off for me now," Naiyaravoro told reporters this week.
"I think I'm moving around a lot quicker and a lot better in the field, especially not being too fatigued to move around."
At his heaviest, Naiyaravoro was pushing the scales at 136kg or 21 stone 6 pounds in old money.
"I find that really surprising as well because I never used to do that, but that's a reflection of the hard work we've done."
"I'm pretty comfortable now (at this weight 124kg) - still working hard. It's a lot more different when you're playing at 136 (kilos). There's no excuse for that (weight). It was just my own discipline that I had to deal with."
"I've changed a lot; it's not really the food that I eat; it's just being more smart."
He says he's better able to turn which makes it more difficult for kickers to exploit space behind him.
"I dropped a lot of weight. I think that has helped me to counter some of that," Naiyaravoro told AFP.
Even at 136kg, Naiyaravoro would still have been a kilo behind Fijian Nemani Nadolo, who is making his bodyweight work for him at Montpellier in the Top 14.
The giant Waratah is set to join Northampton Saints for 2018/19 season, but it won't be his first time playing in that neck of the woods.
After a stint in rugby league with the Balmain Tigers, Naiyaravoro began his senior union career with the Sydney-based Parramatta Two Blues in the Shute Shield, moving to the Waratahs in 2014.
From there a switch to Glasgow beckoned and a spectacular Champions Cup hat-trick against the Scarlets was the highlight of an impressive season in the Pro12, while he has also featured for Japanese side Panasonic Wild Knights in the Top League.
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Ackermann returned. It would've been great to see him at the Stormers.
Go to commentsDisastrous result for conaught almost an impossible task to make top 8 now
The fixture may have been overly friendly recently, and connaught appeared to be a bit unstuck by the venom and vitriol from Ulster. Doak had an amzing game shooting out with perfect timing to disrupt onnaught on every attacking phase. On paper connaught should have had this. Well done to Ulster. connaught were suckered a bit.
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