EVEN WITH A barrage of noise around a stadium, it was always clear that Bundee Aki was an irrepressible box of energy.

And the way he routinely found himself sparking fury of key men on opposition teams, it didn’t take a great leap of intuition to figure out that he didn’t limit his impact on matches to the physical. He’s fond of a verbal smackdown too.

“You ask anybody on the teams that I have been with and (they’ll say) I’m a loud person,” says Aki, embracing the role of chief antagonist whenever he gets to lace up his boots.

“I get on people’s nerves at times. Even though I might be just having a laugh, but I try to bring that into the game.”

Before the pandemic shut fans out of sporting grounds, there was already a growing trend in rugby players celebrating the little wins. Referee mics allowed all of us listen in on the Ric Flair-style roars, the sort of sound that is relentlessly aggravating unless it happens to be going in your favour.

Since rugby’s restart, players and coaches in all corners have all agreed on the notion of ‘bringing your own atmosphere’ to games. And the chatter from men like Aki is no small part of that.

“It’s obviously hard without the crowds out there to bring the noise and not being able to feed off our supporters, but we need to be able to create our own energy and atmosphere,” says Aki.

“I can do that the way I talk and through my actions. If it is off the pitch, supporting the boys that’s what I will do.”

It’s pointed out to the Connacht talisman that opponents have offered withering critiques of his vocal tendencies.

Glasgow’s Ryan Wilson said he ‘cringed’ at the sound of the centre, suggested in an interview Aki ought to ‘rein it in’ and said he asked other Connacht players if they were sick of it all.

Wilson didn’t mention whether he got an answer, but Aki knows well that his words aren’t always warmly received.

“I do it at training during the week. My team-mates at Connacht are well used to my loud voice and to me screaming at them, giving them crap here and there. They’re well used to it.

“Guys in my opposite position at Connacht, I am forever in their face. That’s something we have to deal with as a group. They do the same to me and it’s something that we have to be able to deal with.

“If it catches other teams by surprise because they haven’t seen that then it might give us a slight advantage. Who knows? If I do get under their skin then cool, that’s a slight win for us. If we don’t then I just have to lead by my actions and follow through.”

You don’t get the sense that training sessions get boring or noncompetitive when Aki is around.

Perhaps file such efforts under ‘building comfort in uncomfortable situations’.

That has been a mantra of Stuart Lancaster’s training plan at Leinster in recent years. The former England coach has also pointed out that character traits in the eastern province veer to the introvert side. Nice, well-educated, blue-eyed boys who are very good at following instructions and gameplans.

Aki will certainly serve as a tonic to complement such characters as Andy Farrell highlights the need for Ireland to perform off script.

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Unquestionably, his partnership with Garry Ringrose in Ireland’s midfield works a treat and if the two can bring their form from provinces east and west together at international level then they will be an exciting prospect for Ireland fans.

“He’s been phenomenal,” Aki says of Ringrose,

Creating good moments I think he’s the youngest of the centres, but we learn a lot from him as well. 

“He’s real calm in the way he delivers stuff, the way he talks. That’s  the way Garry is. He loves to lead by his actions and when he needs to speak everyone focuses in and listens in on him.

“He will only say a few words but he is bang on.”

It takes all sorts.