YOU MIGHT HAVE missed Bundee Aki’s interview with ITV which aired ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations meeting with Wales last month.

When asked what word best sums up his relationship with Ireland, Aki, with a hint of some water in his eye, replied ‘Love’. That short clip did the rounds on social media but the full interview delved a little deeper into his story. That bit you do know; the part where his promotion from talented provincial recruit to Test international ushered in a flurry of opinion pieces and online comment about whether or not the Auckland-born, Galway-living Aki should be part of an Ireland rugby team.

There’s no need to dig into all that again here but it remains an important part Aki’s journey, even if he’s long moved past that somewhat tricky start to life as an international rugby player.

Six years and 55 caps into his Test career, Aki now enjoys superstar status. At a recent open training session at Aviva Stadium hundreds of school kids packed the lower sections of the West Stand to get a close look at their heroes. Aki’s name was scribbled on many of the homemade signs carefully decorated with the aim of securing a priceless selfie or training shirt. To this writer’s eye, no other player featured more prominently.

“It’s huge,” Aki admits.

“I remember when I was a kid and when you see a hero, you obviously want them to do so well and that’s the only way I think about it, that I want to do so well to make sure that I keep inspiring those young guys or young girls, it’s just me trying to be myself and making sure [they understand] that anyone can do what they want to do.”

Aki was a man in demand at last month's open training session. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO

There’s a reason the kids love Aki. The centre has delivered the best rugby of his career over the last year, coming through a rocky period with Connacht to play a leading role in Ireland’s Grand Slam success and subsequent charge to the World Cup quarter-finals. Aki was Ireland’s standout player at the tournament and even shone on the night Andy Farrell’s men crashed out against the All Blacks.

That form earned him a nomination for World Rugby’s Player of the Year award and he’s attacked this championship as though he was personally affronted by the fact the accolade didn’t come his way.

Of course, the truth is his motivation comes from a source much closer to his heart.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve had unbelievable support in Ireland, you know what I mean, and I genuinely mean it with every interview that I have. I genuinely do appreciate the people in Ireland, I genuinely appreciate the support that I get,” Aki says.

And the way for me to be able to repay their support and the love that I get is through how I play.

“I can’t go individually and try and say ‘thank you’ to everyone because there is a shitload of them out there, but through my actions and through the way I play with the help of the lads, it’s my way of showing, and I do mean this, that I do really care about this country, I do really care about the people here and the jersey, that means a lot to me.”

Today Aki is hoping to repay that support by adding another trophy to the haul. Ireland were deeply disappointed to let their shot at historic back-to-back Grand Slams slip in Twickenham last week but wrapping up successive Six Nations titles would be a decent way to ease the pain.

Aki had some good moments against England but like so many of his teammates, he wasn’t as influential as he would have liked.

The former Chiefs player knows he can be better this week, and so does Farrell, which is why the Ireland boss has backed the same starting XV which lined out in London seven days ago to go again this evening.

That means another outing for the Bundee Aki-Robbie Henshaw partnership, a combo which goes right back to the pair’s days together at The Sportsground. Henshaw has worn the blue of Leinster since 2016, but the former Connacht teammates have remained close friends over the years.

Naturally, Aki has been delighted to see his old mate get back to his best in this Six Nations after a frustrating time with injuries, revealing that he’s been acting as Henshaw’s personal hype man through the good times and the bad.

Aki and Henshaw are close friends off the pitch. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

“He’s been unbelievable hasn’t he? He’s been class. Robbie has always been class, it’s just my poor boy has always been unlucky with a few injuries here and there, but when that guy gets a roll on and starts playing week-in, week-out, or even coming back from an injury, I genuinely believe he is the best 12 in the world when he’s playing week-on-week.”

It’s a big statement, but one Aki delivers with absolute sincerity.

I genuinely believe that. The same with Garry [Ringrose]. I always tell those two, ‘You two are by far the best centres in the world’, and they know that I’ll always say that to them.”

Centre is arguably the position where Ireland’s depth-chart looks strongest, with Antoine Frisch’s call into France camp this week the latest reminder of the backlog across Ireland’s midfield. With Aki and Henshaw starting today, Ringrose returns to the Ireland bench as Stuart McCloskey, who has been excellent throughout the tournament, misses out completely.

“When they’re that good you’ve just got to make sure you bring your game back up, which is very healthy for us as a group,” Aki says of his fellow centres.

“You’ve got to be on your toes and just making sure you get better and better every week.

“Even Big Stu, he’s playing unbelievably well when he gets his chance, and he’s growing as a player and we’re just getting better and better as a group and as centre partnership, whoever it is that puts the jersey on, we’ve full confidence they’ll deliver and do the job because we know how good they are.”

Ireland are determined to finish their Six Nations with a win against Scotland today, a result which would secure another championship title and regain some positive momentum ahead of a big year, which includes a summer tour to South Africa and home autumn internationals against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia. 

Aki is signed up on an IRFU contract through to 2025 but isn’t thinking too far down the line just yet. The 33-year-old doesn’t know when he’ll stop lacing up his boots for a living, but feels he’ll sense when the time is right.

“The only time I think I’ll be hanging up the boots is when I feel like I can’t give any more or I feel like my rugby is a job, where I’m just waking up, doing things that I don’t want to do, that’s when I’ll know that’s my time.

“But at the moment I’m loving it. I’m loving every single bit of it.”