As a nine-year-old growing up in Western Sydney, all Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii wanted to do was play against the British & Irish Lions.
Now, all eyes are on the 21-year-old as he prepares to live out that dream on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium.
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Suaalii is set to play a massive role in the Wallabies’ hunt for an upset in his sixth Test match in gold.
The former NRL star talked about his memories from a thrilling 2013 series that saw the Wallabies lose 2-1 to the Lions in agonising fashion.
"I remember watching it. All the young kids sat on the floor, and I just remember being real close to the TV, watching it. [It’s] something so special as a kid that sparks you to do something great in your life,” he told reporters.
He admits the Lions tour was a major factor for his move to the sport, with close to 200 thousand fans expected across the three Tests.
“That was probably the biggest carrot for myself [coming to Union],” Suaalii explained.
“I've always wanted to be a part of something so special that happens every 12 years. That was probably the biggest thing coming across, to play for the Waratahs and play for the Wallabies.”
The superstar also went into detail about his unique preparation and pre-match routine before a game.
Suaalii will often be spotted under the posts using a series of visualisation and earthing techniques in order to settle his mind on the job at hand.
“I'm a pretty weird person. I think a lot of people know that,” he said and smiled.
“I like going to the field and just taking everything in, seeing my family, connecting with teammates, just enjoying the whole experience, especially these games. The next three, four weeks, it's going to go so quickly so for myself, it's honestly just taking it one minute.
“There's no such thing as the perfect routine or the perfect thing. I feel like it chops and changes all the time, but I'm literally just trying things and seeing what works for me.
