Vunipola’s home truths
Hself-reflection and a dose of Tongan tough love have forced Billy Vunipola to ‘grow up’ and address failings off the pitch
Billy Vunipola has revealed that he was given some tough talking from his parents after feeling he had let England down at the Rugby World Cup off the pitch. “It’s things I could have done better and things that affected the chemistry of the team,” the England and Saracens No8 said in an interview. Vunipola said that at 27 it is time to grow up.
The problem with modern life, especially in an intense environment such as professional rugby, is the lack of time for reflection. For Billy Vunipola, there was always another game or session just around the corner that meant he was always too busy for introspection.
Lockdown changed that. Suddenly, Vunipola had all the time he needed to look in the rear-view mirror. He did not like what he saw: immaturity, complacency, selfishness. At last year’s World Cup, the England No 8 heard what his coaches, team-mates and family were telling him, but he says he did not know how to listen. The words washed over him, but never sunk in. Now he plainly admits that he let people down.
“I had a real good look at myself,” Vunipola says. “I think I could have been better at the World Cup off the field. There are things that happened in the vicinity of the team when we were away and I have talked to people that I guess it affected. It’s things I could have done better and things that affected the chemistry of the team.
“I think my head was in the clouds, that’s something I always battle with. I find it hard to keep my feet on the ground when I do something well. That’s been a massive challenge for me over this period of lockdown. If you reach success again, both as a team or personally, how do I stay grounded?”
Some of those answers were provided by his parents Iesinga, a former Methodist minister, and Fe’ao. There is tough love and then there is Tongan tough love. Home truths were delivered with the force of a sledgehammer. This time they sunk in.
“I always looked to blame someone else or something else and I finally realised, when I spoke to my parents, that I need to take ownership,” Vunipola says. “Those guys never lie to me. They are an amazing sounding board. I probably didn’t listen to them as well as I could have in the last two or three years. They gave me advice to search for a higher meaning.
“It was hard to look at myself and it took a while to realise they are right. My head was in the clouds and I didn’t want to take ownership for things I did. It’s hard to admit it sometimes and tell people around you that you are wrong.”
Mark Mccall, the Saracens director of rugby, has already noticed a more mature, authoritative Vunipola since the club’s return to training. Vunipola has established a stronger relationship with his elder brother, Mako, having been previously blind to each other’s vulnerabilities by sibling competitiveness.
“That is definitely something I felt I didn’t do for my brother,” Vunipola says. “I didn’t support him when he was in a bad spot with injuries and that kind of improved our relationship and hopefully we can keep going that way.”
Moreover, Vunipola wants to become a role model to Saracens’ younger generation in the way that Jacques Burger, Ernst Joubert and Steve Borthwick once were to him.
“I think I can grow up. I’m 27, but my wife thinks I still act like I’m 21. I’m going to try to set a better example to myself and everyone else. When I say ‘head in the clouds’, I haven’t been willing to learn as much as I could off the coaches and people next to me, whether they’re younger or older than me. I’m trying to be a better person and that’s including listening to people, and actually listening, not just to critique them back.
“Someone would be telling me something, and I would go ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, sweet’ and carry on what I was doing before. There’s an intention to try to get better. Hopefully I can show that.”
Physically, Vunipola is in as good shape as he ever has been, having missed the Six Nations with a broken arm. In many ways, Saracens’ relegation to the Championship could not have worked out better for those such as Vunipola, who harbour Lions ambitions, given they will be afforded far more rest than other England players. The downside will be a lack of highintensity matches to build form and fitness.
“There’s a little voice in your head saying we are in the Champ, we are out of the shop window,” Vunipola says. “That’s on myself and others at the club to make sure we are putting ourselves in a good position physically so that if we are called up we are ready to go and perform to the level we can. If it’s untested the whole year it’s going to be tough to get myself in the position where I am on the Lions plane to South Africa.
“I’m definitely going to be hungry on the pitch. I feel like I’m in good shape, and am getting back to taking my training seriously, putting myself in a good position to affect games. Hopefully I will show you that I am different. I’ve been trying a few things in my game that might not come off, but I think I can push the boat out a little bit.”
‘I haven’t been willing to learn as much as I could from coaches. I’m trying to be a better person’