Juggling and walking around the pitch barefoot are just two parts of Joseph Suaalii’s unique pre-match routine.

The 21-year-old Australian superstar has his own way of going about things and it seems to work for the former NRL sensation who has been billed as the Wallabies’ saviour since he made the big-money move back to the game he grew up playing at King’s School, Parramatta.

Read more: Joe Schmidt recalls veteran Wallaby from 2013 Lions series in squad for Tests

Suaalii was Man of the Match on his international debut in the pulsating win over England in November but only played his first game on Australian soil for the Wallabies in the win over Fiji in Newcastle just over a week ago.

Rugby World was there to witness his pre-game rituals, which take place under the posts, before that narrow 21-18 win for Australia.

“I am a pretty weird person, I think a lot of people know that,” Suaalii said. “I like to take in the crowd, where I am right now.

“Honestly just taking the whole experience in, especially leading into these days. These are the things you dream about as a kid.

“The biggest thing is just enjoying every single moment. It could be having coffee with the boys or on the field playing. When I am playing the game, I’m playing in every single moment.

“That’s what I am doing before the game. I see my family, embrace them, embracing teammates. Trying to stay in the now.”

Suaalii also has his headphones in during his prep but remained coy when pressed on what he was listening to.

He added: ” I don’t know, there’s some stuff I like to keep to myself. I do like to connect with the ground and just be where I am right now with my feet.

“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 practise that as much as I can off the field so once I’m on the field I am in the now and the present.”

The outside centre juggled tennis balls before facing the Flying Fijians and confirmed it is about warming up his vision and getting geared up for action.

“That’s just hand-eye, just getting my stuff going with my peripheral vision and getting all those little details that you get on the footy field because you’re going to a lot of different pictures on the footy field. It is all part of my process leading in the game.”

Suaalii said his preparation is constantly evolving and he’s borrowed bits from others as time has gone on.

“I feel like you just learn from experience, you watch different athletes, the best, do what they do and you find what works for you and what doesn’t.

“I am still learning, there is no such thing as the perfect routine, I feel like it chops and changes the whole time and I am just trying things and seeing what works for me.”

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