It's All In The Family
Sun Herald
Sunday August 12, 2007
BLOCKBUSTING Warriors forward Epalahame Lauaki credits his All Blacks brother for helping to keep his mind on the job in his team's charge towards the finals.
He and Rugby World Cup-bound loose forward Sione Lauaki exchange texts regularly, offering mutual messages of good luck, but also assessing each other's performances. "My brother is pretty supportive," the Warriors back-rower said. "He always texts before the game and afterwards. He keeps me honest. It's good to have a brother who picks on you and tells you where you're going wrong and if you're playing well." Lauaki, 23, cited greater self-belief as a reason for his recent lift in form, and he was also learning plenty from the experienced duo of skipper Steve Price and vice-captain Ruben Wiki. Getting his fitness levels up was another factor. He had a late start to his pre-season preparations, having been given a break on his return from being part of the Kiwis' Tri-Nations squad. He was above his ideal playing weight at the start of the campaign and had worked hard to get down to his present 104 kilograms.Coach Ivan Cleary said Lauaki's form had steadily improved during the year, and the player's fitness was paying dividends. "He's only really got to the sort of fitness levels we wanted from him probably in the last six weeks, and that's showing on the field."
© 2007 Sun Herald