Page 75 - Official Preview - DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017

HAWKE’S BAY 19 COUNTIES 16 WAIKATO 13 LIONS LIONS LIONS 25 25 LIONS LIONS LIONS 25 25 LIONS LIONS LIONS 40
DHL NEW ZEALAND LIONS SERIES 2017
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IN THE WEST OF
England
right before
the river crossing to neighbouring Wales you’ll nd serious rugby country – a a a a a a place where soccer often plays second ddle No mean feat in a a a a a a a a country where the the round-ball game undoubtedly rules the the roost It’s here here you’ll nd nd nd sides such as Gloucester Worcester Todd Blackadder’s Bath Bristol (Pat Lam’s next stop) and of of course Thornbury Not that you should have heard of of Thornbury they’re in the the country’s sixth tier But on Saturday lunchtime two of world rugby’s biggest stars the the Vunipola brothers are paying a a a a a a a a a visit and hundreds of locals have turned up up to say hello Of course these two superstars aren’t really seen as celebrities to the the the the club members To them they’re just Billy and Mako two former players coming back back to to say say hello “It always nice to to come back back back ” Billy says “This is is the second time I’ve been been back back in four years It has been been a a a a a while but it does bring back some fond memories of the times when we we were younger ” Thornbury was the Vunipolas’ rst English home arriving as as as teenagers in in in the late 1990s having previously lived in in in in Wales where dad Fe’ao – a a a a a a a a a 34-cap Tongan hooker who played in both the 1995 and and 1999 Rugby World Cups – turned out for Caerphilly and and Pontypridd As you’d expect the the rugby club was among the the rst stops for Billy and and Mako and and no doubt today in in local clubs across the the the the region there are men in in in their 20s shuddering as they recount tales of facing the the the two not-so-mini Thornbury Thornbury wrecking balls “Thornbury were the the rst club to to to give us us that platform to to to push on on in in in our careers and and onto higher and and bigger things ” Billy continues “It’s always nice to show our face and rubber
stamp that they played a a a a a a big role in in who we are especially in in terms of rugby ” For older brother Mako (who is 26 Billy 24) it was was also where he he he he made his rst-team debut “I was was was 14 or 15 when I I I I came here and and I I I I I I played until I I I I I I was was was 18 ” he he says “It was was good I I I I enjoyed it and and had my rst rst experience of rst-team rugby I still have a a a a a a few good mates who live around here “I just hope the kids who are here now can make the impact that we’ve
made because
anyone can do it We’ve proved that ” Billy takes up the the story “We were two normal guys at the the time and it was a a a a a a a a a lovely place to be around ” he he he he says “The people were friendly and they welcomed us us as as soon as as we we we got here here I just hope the the kids who are here here now can can make the the impact that we have made because
anyone can can do it We have proved that ” Mako would eventually make his rst-grade debut at nearby Bristol while Billy would end up turning out rst rst for Wasps but it’s the the the brothers’ current club – – the the the reigning English and European champions Saracens – – that has brought them to to town The night before
at at Gloucester just up the the road Mako had returned from a a a a a long-term knee injury Unfortunately for for opponents Billy would also return weeks later and and together they would help England
secure a a a a a a second Six Nations title PROFILE