I lie awake wondering how I’ve played in matches admits Mako

MAKO Vunipola has such a lung-busting lactic acidinducing workrate that you would imagine that after a match he is out as soon as his head hits the pillow.

Instead, his pursuit of excellence is so relentless that he lies awake thinking of what he could have done better.

Having got two man-of-the-match awards in the Premiership final win over Exeter and semi-final win over Wasps, the Saracens and England loosehead is hardly breaking out the bunting. He says he does not rest easy until he has got his own performance worked out, win or lose.

“It takes two or three days for me to fully forget what I could have done (better). I don’t really sleep much the night after a game, and the day after I’m still watching and looking at things I could have done better, which could be quite a long one.

“Then on Monday you look at the team again. That’s the best thing about it, we have to be honest with ourselves to actually grow from that. It’s hard, but when you come out the other end it’s probably the best feeling.”

Mako says in his case it is a case not so much of pre-match nerves as post-match nervous energy:

“The night before (a match) I sleep like a baby. The night after a game I struggle with adrenalin if there’s a bit left over, and no matter win or lose there are always things I’ll go over in my head, and think if only I’d done that...”

The perfectionist in the older of the Vunipola brothers is never far away, and as he contemplates the First Test of England’s tour to South Africa at Ellis Park, it surfaces again.

Asked what he would give himself out of 10 for his outstanding displays in the last two matches of the Saracens title chase he responds: “Maybe a 7. Probably one of two scrums I could have done better, and maybe I could have got back in the game quicker – but overall I’m pretty pleased with it.”

The seemingly indestructible loosehead has hit the heights despite coming off a Lions tour in which he started all three Tests of the drawn series in New Zealand before going back to Saracens duty after only a short break.

Little wonder he was praised this week by his just-retired South African brother-in-arms at Saracens, Schalk Brits, as taking the role of prop to a new level because of his carrying and handling ability and his extraordinary tackle counts.

However, the loose-head goes low key as he reflects on his season overall. “It’s been okay. What I’ve been most pleased with is being able to be involved in so many games. I’m very lucky I’ve been injury free so far this season, and helped my team as much as I can. I guess it was a slow start with the club, understandably, not having the best pre-season, but I guess it then got into the internationals and Six Nations and I felt good and was just enjoying myself playing.” Inevitably, he says there was a dip. “The hardest part was mid Six Nations, not from the tank being low, but more from the disappointment of losing those games. It was hard then to lift going from England to club – it’s always a tough transition – but from there we talked as a group (at Saracens) that we had an opportunity to get better, and I think we did that.” Now he hopes to bring that same ‘lift’ factor to England’s quest for a series victory over the Springboks, and, having rubbed shoulders with the likes of Brits and Schalk Burger at Saracens, he has a handy insight into what it will take to achieve it. “South Africans pride themselves on how physical they are. That will be the first and foremost challenge for us. They wear their hearts on their sleeve, a very emotional people.

“We are very lucky to have had some great South Africans at the club...they are the nicest people off the field but on it they will do everything to intimidate or get the upper hand on you.

“We know what to expect and we know how much they feed off the emotion of the country. We are going to have to be ready for a massive first 20 minutes (at Ellis Park). They will be coming out guns blazing with a new coach and a new team. They are growing in confidence and we have to be ready for that challenge.”

He says Brits, left, and Burger epitomise the Springbok way. “They are two of the nicest guys off the field, but when you are out there next to them, it is scary some of the things they can do. They are very skilful, but first and foremost they want to hurt you with massive tackles.”

As for the unknown of facing a new South Africa side under new coach Rassie Erasmus, Mako says that England have to be adaptable.

“We are aware they are a new team and we have to expect anything. We have been focusing on what we can control.

“We know what their coach has done at other teams but there is not much video footage of what they can do. It will be a massive challenge.”

Mako Vunipola would not want it any other way.