I thought of quitting game as I struggled at Wasps ALL-BLACK ACE OPENS UP ON DARK EARLY DAYS TRYING TO FILL THE BOOTS OF CIPRIANI
WASPS’ All-black Lima Sopoaga has said he considered giving up rugby after ‘hating’ much of his first year in England.
Sopoaga arrived for the start of the 2018/19 season billed as the replacement for Danny Cipriani but struggled to adapt to the English game in a difficult year for Wasps.
Speaking to Rugbypass, the back said he struggled mentally with the pressure, but added he felt he’d turned his form around and would be looking to challenge for silverware with the club.
Sopoaga said: “I probably hated the game for a lot of my first year, to be totally honest.
“I definitely had moments where I thought, I don’t know if I want to continue playing rugby.
“My mental health took a pretty big hit. What made it worse were the club not doing well and me not playing well. It just all snowballed.”
After two seasons of Cipriani dazzling at Wasps he moved on to Gloucester and Sopoaga was announced as Wasps’ new marquee signing at flyhalf. He came with a strong reputation from his eight seasons at the Highlanders having scored 853 points, guided them to a Super Rugby title, been part of their victory over the British & Irish Lions and earned 16 New Zealand caps. But while Cipriani shone at Gloucester and won RPA Player of the Year, Sopoaga stuttered in Wasps’ worst season since 2013 and was labelled a ‘clumsy mistake’ and the ‘worst signing of the season’ in the media.
He said: “As I wasn’t playing as well, I was trying harder to get better and that just made it worse.
“My mental health took a hit because I was so focused on coming here and filling the so-called boots of Cipriani and I really wanted to make my mark on the club.”
“I came over with the wrong mindset in that I just thought, sweet, I’m a bona fide rugby player, I know how to play rugby.
“The way the game is played in the north and south is totally different. You can’t play that Super Rugby style in the middle of winter here, it just doesn’t work, and that’s what I struggled with.”
Ex-wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young always maintained the plan had been to play him with Gopperth in support at 12, but Gopperth’s pre-season knee injury compounded the problems for Sopoaga attempting to bed in to a new system and style of rugby.
Around the time of Young’s departure Wasps started to regain form and that continued under new head coach Lee Blackett, with Sopoaga also enjoying a resurgence playing alongside Gopperth and Jacob Umaga.
He said: “I was pretty unhappy for a long time but we have gotten through it. Before lockdown I was really enjoying rugby, it was really fun, and I just want to get back to that.
“I want to get back to loving my rugby because I’d started to find the joy again.”
In Wasps’ win against Saracens, Sopoaga replaced Marcus Watson at full-back, and impressed as part of a tri-playmaker system. He then returned to the position in the starting XV against Gloucester and put in another strong performance. He set up Umaga’s try with a long cross-field pass and we rated him an 8/10 for both games. Although that was during the Six Nations period with Italy international Matteo Minozzi unavailable, many fans thought it could be a more permanent solution especially given Jacob Umaga’s breakout season at fly-half. Sopoaga weighed in on the debate, saying: “I like the freedom of playing 15. You end up organising the backline and helping out the 10 a lot.
“As a ten myself, I know what Jacob or Jimmy need from me at the back. I’m a voice, I’m their eyes, I’m their ears. But I still love ten, I love being the shot-caller and running a team.
“I just want to win a comp really,” he said. “Before the lockdown, we had turned a corner as a group of players and as a club and we were on the rise. I’d love to see us make the top four, get our hat in the ring, and whatever happens in the finals happens.”
I want to get back to loving my rugby because I’d started to find the joy again.