Paolo’s the vital piece for puzzler Fekitoa
MALAKAI Fekitoa believes it’s only “a matter of time” before his Wasps teammate Paolo Odogwu wins an elusive first England cap.
Odogwu, 24, made his first start of the year yesterday against Clermont Auvergne in the Champions Cup having spent the whole of the
Six Nations kicking his heels.
Head coach Eddie Jones declined to use the centre/wing, who went into England camp bang in form with a man-ofthe-match, two-try performance against Bath, whilst also electing not to release him back to his club.
However, former All
Black
Fekitoa recognises class when he sees it and is confident Odogwu’s patience will eventually pay off. “We all saw what he could do before he went to camp and it’s good to have him back,” said Fekitoa. “Players like him, you need to give as much ball to as possible.
“He’s a big, strong boy who has got great skills and speed, and he is still young. I expect him to be in the England team soon.” Fekitoa made a positive contribution of his own last weekend, scoring Wasps’ only try in a 2019 defeat to Sale Sharks. Now in his second season at Wasps, Fekitoa has a calm aura about him, and totally different to the individual who publicly admitted in 2016 that he had anger issues.
Walks in the countryside before and after training help keep his mind from thinking about rugby, 24-7, as well as a new-found hobby – jigsaw making.
The Tonga admits however, he is better at finding the edges of opposition defences than the pieces laid out on the table of his Leamington Spa home.
“I’m doing a 1,000-piece one, it’s taking a while. I’m not very good, I’ve been at it for a couple of weeks and I still haven’t finished.
“When I have an afternoon off, I try and stay away from rugby and go for a walk, read or have another go at the jigsaw.
“It’s hard (to switch off), especially when the result doesn’t go your way; your mind can go crazy thinking about ‘what could I have done?’ or ‘how can I improve my performance?’
“It’s been a difficult year without fans and no socials but these things all help me relax.”