Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii holds no fear of rapidly becoming the most-scrutinised face in Super Rugby as the code-hopper looks to translate his impressive Wallabies form into leading a Waratahs revival.
Rugby Australia will hope the former Sydney Roosters star’s switch to rugby union will further bolster interest in the Australian game after the Wallabies' encouraging northern hemisphere tour and the impending British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
Suaalii joins the Waratahs, who finished with last year’s wooden spoon, under new coach Dan McKellar.
The Waratahs open their campaign against the Highlanders on February 14, with Suaalii the star attraction after his impressive performances on the Wallabies' tour last year.
Suaalii had been billed as a transformative signing for rugby union in Australia when former RA chairman Hamish McLennan sealed his signature last year.
Ahead of the Waratahs’ season and the once-in-a-generation chance to take on the Lions, the 21-year-old Suaalii said he was undaunted by the expectation.
“I feel like I've been in the papers since I was 14 years old,” the cross-code convert said.
“At the start (of my career) it was actually exciting to see your name in the papers, and it starts to build a bit of pressure and expectation.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself. Anything external, I don't really let it faze me anymore.
“It's just been about sticking to the process, getting better every day and just learning as much as I can because you never stop learning.”
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt showed great faith to throw Suaalii in at the deep end of facing England on his Test debut at Twickenham late last year.
It marked Suaalii’s first competitive game of rugby union since his teens, and the dual-code international has spent his short break picking apart his own game.
Not least his defensive positioning and technique, which famously went astray and led to him being sent off in his State of Origin debut for NSW last year for a high shot on Reece Walsh.
“I have been watching film of myself, my positioning on where to be on a rugby field, whether it’s on the wing, fullback or centre,” Suaalii said.
“Defensively, just where to be in different positions and lowering the tackle height, I know that’s a big thing in rugby.
“(In-play kicking) is something I need to work on, but it’s something I have in my arsenal - I kicked a lot as a kid.”
