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The story behind Bundee Aki's freshly-toned rig: 'There are muscles on muscles'

(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

France midfielder Virimi Vakatawa is viewed as one of the world’s current on-form centres, but Fabien Gathie’s outside centre will have his hands full on Saturday night in Paris dealing with muscular Ireland No12 Bundee Aki.

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The New Zealander has become a fixture in the Irish XV since qualifying under the three-year residency rule in November 2017, the 30-year-old starting in 26 of Ireland’s 33 matches since then.   

Having helped his adopted country to Grand Slam glory in 2018, he will now look to help them clinch the 2020 Six Nations title with a Stade de France bonus-point win over the French.  

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Ryan Wilson takes Bundee Aki to task for his constant on-field chat

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Ryan Wilson takes Bundee Aki to task for his constant on-field chat

And he will do so looking very different then was the case in previous times with Ireland. 

In the early days, the IRFU match programme habitually mixed him up with Garry Ringrose, giving him the Leinster centre’s 92kg weight in their player profile.

Details in away match programmes, though, were closer to the mark, Aki regularly listed as 101kgs on his travels, but he took action in the lead-up to last year’s World Cup and then used the lockdown lay-off to give his rig a quite menacing appearance.

Speaking to The XV about the centre’s rejuvenated look, Connacht assistant coach Nigel Carolan explained: “He’s gone through a total transformation. He was actually quite chunky a few years ago. 

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“He’d still have been bringing that physicality but he’d have been carrying a bit of excess too. Going into the World Cup last year, for whatever reason, he stripped it all back and was down to about 90 kilos. He felt being leaner would assist him. He sort of stripped it down and now built it back up.

“Going into lockdown, he was in a fairly confined space and I’d be getting videos of the skills work he was doing, he’d be kicking tennis balls against the wall and that sort of thing. I was thinking it was fantastic how he was applying himself but I didn’t see the physical progress as it was ongoing. The Bundee that came in at the end of lockdown, he was a bit frightening, seriously intimidating. You’re looking at him and there are muscles on muscles.”

Scotland back row Ryan Wilson, a co-host on the RugbyPass Offload show, suggested another reason why fans can’t ignore the presence of Aki these days. Reflecting on Glasgow’s opening round 2020/21 PRO14 defeat in Ireland, he said: “It was weird because Bundee Aki actually made me cringe a little bit how much he was going at it [trash talking]. 

“I even asked a couple of his players, ‘Like, you boys most be struggling?’… there is a good way to do it and there is a way which is like, ‘C’mon, rein it in a bit pal’.”

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R
RedWarrior 31 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

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LONG READ Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline? Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?
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