Trael Joass making transition back to 15s
Trael Joass in action against Wales during this year's world sevens series.
It was tougher than he ever imagined although Trael Joass' eyes are now wide open.
The powerful Tasman Makos midfielder's rugby career took an unexpected diversion this year with his call up to the New Zealand Sevens team.
It was a difficult season for a rebuilding New Zealand side. They didn't make a single final in 10 world series tournaments in 2016-17 and finished fourth overall behind winners South Africa, England and Fiji.
Joass featured in eight of the 10 tournaments, but now he's back in 15s mode with his Wanderers club side as they prepare to take on Nelson in Saturday's Nelson Bays division one club final.
And even the transition back to 15s has been demanding, initially with Wanderers and eventually with Tasman in the countdown to this year's Mitre 10 Cup competition.
"[The transition's] been a lot harder than I thought it would be. Eighty minutes is a long time to be on your feet ... but it's been enjoyable," Joass said.
"I kind of needed it before I went [back] to Tasman, otherwise I would have been toast, but it's been good to come back into an environment where the [Wanderers] boys are wanting to go hard for one another as well."
Joass said that the The New Zealand Sevens training staff had helped him maintain a "decent weight" at around 103kg, meaning he hasn't needed to pile on the beef to get ready for 15s.
"I'm still sitting around the same weight, but it's just about how you feel when you carry it really. At the end of the day, it is what it is. As long as you're fit and can move around the field and feel comfortable, it's all good."
He admitted that his initial introduction into the international sevens arena was a "shock".
"I never really got a chance to prepare for it as such, it just sort of happened so quickly. But I enjoyed it, it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.
"I didn't know what I thought it was going to be but it was definitely a lot more challenging than I thought. But it was exciting at the same time travelling around the world. It was a lot harder than you think it would be as well in terms of travelling."
He certainly wasn't disheartened by New Zealand's overall performance.
"I think it was quite neat to be part of a team that struggled and having a chance to be in a team that's rebuilding over the next three years leading into the Olympics. We've got a big year coming up next year with Commonwealth Games and world championships.
"It hasn't been a hugely successful year for us but it can only mean we can hopefully grow."
He's re-signed with the New Zealand Sevens for another two years.
"I'll ultimately just look forward to making a good statement and hopefully push for a further contract for Olympic year. That's a long way away but that's the ultimate goal.
"Obviously for now it's just turn up week in week out and just do the best I can and make the teams on tour. It won't be as foreign to me anymore and I'll be able to prepare better than the first time around."
He's also re-signed with Tasman for another two years and with David Havili and Alex Nankivell also in this year's midfield mix, was excited about competing for a starting position.
"I'll put my hand up. We've got a bloody good young team, so it just depends on who's putting their hand up the most."
However, his immediate focus is on Saturday's final.
"The boys are excited. We've got a group of five or six of us, maybe even more, that's been in the last five finals that Wanderers have made, so there's a good bunch of old heads there.
"We'll take it stride by stride and it's no different this weekend with attitude, it's just do or die. It's your last 80 minutes for the club and your chance to put your name down in the history books and even moreso to get a three-peat which is massive.
"Nelson are a strong team and they've been tracking quite well. They've got a lot of young exciting players and we've just got to turn up and go well and hopefully out experience can get us through. But sometimes against fearless young players like Nelson it's just not enough."
