The recent instruction given to Christ Tshiunza by Rob Baxter, Exeter's director of rugby, sounds simple enough.
"He has to keep it simple. He is a very thoughtful man when it comes to rugby. As much as we laugh at some guys and say they need to be more of a student, he just needs to let himself play. That really makes his athleticism shine. Don't think too much, just go with the flow," Baxter explains.
However, there is one clear problem. If you're as curious about the opposition as Tshiunza is, and eagerly digest the information provided during team meetings, take it to the training pitch and visualize how certain scenarios might play out in a match, it might not be easy to figure it out. discover the switch. The meetings in Exeter are extensive and sometimes last up to two hours.
"I take the time to almost allow myself to learn visually," Tshiunza explains, adding that he will take some time during training to process the actions that the players who do not play on match day pretending to be the opponent, playing against the first team. . It all sounds pretty tough, mentally downloading an opponent's concepts and styles every week and then starting over. That may be why Tshiunza emphasizes the following point: "Everyone absorbs information differently, but I can proudly say that on the weekend; I'm working on it."
He certainly was against Bath last weekend. The win in the round of 16 was only Tshiunza's second match back from a broken foot that kept him out for five months. Bath, blown out by both the gusty wind and their impressive defensive efforts in the first half, still had a late chance to snatch victory after another jackal penalty from Sam Underhill led to a lineout on Exeter's 22. Tshiunza, up front, poached the ball for Charlie Ewels and Exeter held firm.
'I want to be back at international level within a few matches'
It wasn't his first steal of the match either, with Tshiunza also finishing as Exeter's top tackler (14). "High numbers, high quality," as Baxter put it. It makes you wonder what Tshiunza could produce in the Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse this weekend with more minutes to his name. "I want to be a top performer, to prove that I can get back to international level in a short time within a few matches."
The story continues
You often forget how young certain players are, how much potential there is still. Tshiunza made his Wales debut as a teenager and is still just 22 years old. The size was always six feet tall, but he has returned from that injury layoff with considerably more weight, up about a stone, making him now about 18-and-a-half. -half, a deliberate move to ensure Tshiunza can provide cover in the second row as well as the back row. George Martin, the England forward, has added a similar amount of weight in recent years to play as more of a lock.
"I see myself as a second-row hybrid," says Tshiunza, adding that his previous weight of 17.5 stone "limited my selection options". He called himself an optimist and his injury recovery was "an opportunity to work on myself" and "to get my head back in order, to get closer to my friends". He was understandably "quite gutted" to miss the Six Nations, but the process of coming to terms with that disappointment has its own value. "I learned some good life lessons, how to deal with things that don't go your way."
Wales morale was 'good' despite the Six Nations wooden spoon
He joined Wales for the final weeks of what turned out to be a winless Six Nations, and continued his recovery. Wales' poor performance in the final against Italy, leading to the wooden spoon, suggested things were seriously wrong. Tshiunza sees it differently.
"It didn't seem like we were quite ready this weekend, but I actually thought that in terms of training standards and how everything was run, the boys trained really well and were very enthusiastic, really wanted to win and perform for their country. he said. "There was good morale, a young team with a good atmosphere everywhere. I think that probably softened the blow."
There is a similarly youthful, positive atmosphere at Exeter this season - albeit with more evident success - with the club targeting the Gallagher Premiership play-offs and Europe's last eight.
The second and back row against Toulouse this weekend consists of Russian Tuima (23, England Under-20), Dafydd Jenkins (21, Wales captain), Ethan Roots (26, England), Tshiunza and Ross Vintcent (21, Italy ). ). And don't forget Greg Fisilau on the bench (20, England 'A'). As a group they are balanced. Jenkins and Tshiunza are there to do the dirty work, clearing rucks "and hitting everything that moves" so Roots and Vintcent can free themselves to carry (Roots with aggression, Vintcent with pace). "[Against Bath] it was as if eight different cogs were turning the same wheel. We are allowed to express our strengths and capabilities," Tshiunza added.
'Rob's vision is quite something'
If there's an opponent you're too inclined to analyze inside out, it's probably Toulouse, the five-time winners. Exeter are underdogs - hardly a sign of disrespect; Who was the last team to be favorites in Toulouse? - yet that tag has served them well in the past. An alleged reconstruction year has yielded much more than expected.
"It's a huge honor for Rob. His vision is really something. He can see things that others cannot see. He knew that this season was not going to be a season where we just did well and built a small base before moving on after next season," Tshiunza explained.
"When I came back from the World Cup you could see that this was not a young team or uni team. It was a team that won the Premier League, boys with ambition. There was a lot of youthful spirit, you felt it everywhere, there was an atmosphere. And really, I'd rather play in such a young team than in an older team with experienced players where it feels like 'we'll get through it because we're good'.
"We proved a lot of people wrong this year. Rob says we play our best when we are the underdog, and that could happen this weekend. I think Rob feels comfortable [with that tag] and build a team around it. We are now a team where you might miss it if you blink."
For Tshiunza, bigger and better after his sacking, the message is clear. Switch off, play your game and impose yourself.
