Suaalii has this pre-match routine which has captured the imagination – walking on the pitch without boots, some meditation, some juggling.
“I’m a pretty weird person,” he said. “I think a lot of people know that. I just like to take in the crowd.
“These are the things you dream about as a kid. My biggest thing is just enjoying every single moment – seeing my family, embracing them, embracing team-mates and just trying to stay in the now.”
And no boots? “I do like to connect with the ground. I don’t want to look too far ahead or look too far back, it’s all about being as present as I can. That’s how I want to play the game of footy. I just try to practice that as much as I can off the field.”
And the juggling? “That’s just hand-eye. Just getting my stuff going. Peripheral vision. You’re going to get all these different pictures on the footy field. It’s just all part of my process leading into the game.”
There was another attempt to get him to revisit Murrayfield but he was steadfast in his resistance.
“I’m not going to speak on it, to be fair,” he added. I’m sure it’s going to be a great challenge and a great battle. I don’t give too much energy to the opposition. I respect the opposition, but at the same time, I’m just focusing on myself and what I can bring.”
Millions of Australians are focusing on what he can bring, too. And they’re hoping it’s the kind of thing that saw the downfall of England in the autumn.
He plays down the pervasive view that he carries the hopes of a nation, but he’ll know that this is his status now, this is what is expected of him. At 21.
He’ll be box office on Saturday. For his explosiveness, his vision, his grace and his raw power, it’ll be hard to take your eyes off him – especially if he has Tuipulotu in his crosshairs again. That incident has gone, but clearly it’s not been forgotten.
