When Bundee Aki first arrived in Galway, in October 2014, the Connacht boys brought him out on the razz. It was only two days later that he first beheld The Sportsground, his new home, and realised it doubled as a dog-track.
Not many would have expected Aki to add a Guinness PRO12 medal to the Super Rugby one he claimed with the Chiefs in 2013.
The optimistic ones, though, were found in the playing and coaching staff at Connacht. Pat Lam told him Connacht could become Ireland’s best province by the end of his three-year contract. It only took two.
The 26-year-old may have missed out on the IRUPA [Irish Players’] accolade for best player but the PRO12 contingent recognised class when they saw it. They rarely laid a hand on him and, if they did, they regretted it.
As he led the team on the pitch, Aki took centre stage for Connacht’s joyous celebrations.
WATCH: Bundee Aki's rendition of The Fields of Athenry is something else https://t.co/ezep7JYoZb
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 30, 2016
Last night, near the Spanish Arches, the party was still go but it had ratcheted down somewhat.
Aki took time out to pay tribute to men who he did not know two years ago but who are now his “family”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGC6TdHky6E/?taken-by=bundeeaki_
The post reflects the words Pat Lam spoke about Aki earlier this season:
“Bundee is a Connacht man. You can truly say he’s a Connacht man. He has truly embraced this area. He has embraced the people.
“With Pacific Islanders, everything is around the family and the extended family. It doesn’t need to be about blood; it just needs to be the people you care about.
“Bundee always talks about his brothers. You see that side but what I see is… he pushes some guys really hard. He gets in some people’s faces at training. He’s physical; he wants high standards. He drives that as well.
“He enjoys himself socially as well but, certainly, he has a lot of respect for these guys because he loves this place.”
We’ll say one thing for the Connacht boys, most of them look remarkably fresh after one ell of a performance and 48 hours of celebrations.
