France will recognise the name and the muscular presence but the newly streamlined Billy Vunipola may surprise a few on Saturday evening. Eight kilos lighter and visibly energised by the prospect of the looming World Cup, England’s No8 has never looked fitter. Gone is puffing Billy, replaced by a more focused athlete whose days of junk food excess are finally over.
These truly are the 22-year-old’s salad days, a far cry from his youth when, famously, his older brother Mako even brought him supplies of KFC when he was lying in hospital. The family’s Tongan heritage has given both players huge strength but also a serious appetite. “If you ever go to a Tongan meal you never see salad,” chuckles Vunipola junior. “If it is there it’s probably the flowers decorating the table.”
Weight – or, rather, trying to lose it – has been a recurrent theme, even before he took his first professional steps with Wasps. Vunipola’s uncles used to have to bribe him to stop walking during junior matches and only recently has the siren call of McDonald’s been resisted. “You have to save those days until after a big game,” he says ruefully. “You can’t have three or four days when you’re bingeing and eating badly because it builds up.”
His resolve does still weaken sometimes, but only occasionally. “If I see someone eating pizza and it looks nice I’ll probably have a pizza,” he admits. “If we’re watching a movie and someone’s eating a curry then I’ll have a curry. I’m not one to close down the options.”
Just to be on the safe side, Vunipola has even stopped going to his parents’ house at mealtimes to prevent maternal love colliding too ruinously with his nutritional regime. “If I do go over it’s between lunchtime and dinner so no one is cooking,” reveals the big man, looking momentarily guilty. “There is always temptation but knowing the types of food and what to eat has helped. I never used to think white bread was bad for you or certain types of pasta. Even jelly babies. I thought they gave you energy.”
The net result is a 130kg (21st) back-row forward who will be a central figure if England are to prosper over the next two months. A combination of pre-season running, training at altitude in Colorado and gym graft in Bagshot has tested his mental resilience, but he feels it has all been worth it. “I wouldn’t say I’ve enjoyed it but we got through it. It’s helped me improve my physical appearance and also getting around the field,” Vunipola says. “It’s about trying to get more out of me – to be more powerful and to play the full 80 minutes to a better level. It’s probably the fittest I’ve ever been.”
A competitive Test will present a subtly different challenge but Vunipola, having consulted with England’s strength and conditioning coaches, always had a specific weight target in mind. “I was 138kg and I said to them I wanted to get down to 130kg. My first year at Saracens was the last time I was at this weight and I felt I played some of my best rugby,” he says. “Hopefully I will be faster and more explosive … I don’t want to lose that side of my game. But I also have to be able to get over the ball and not be easily moved. I think it will help me to be more involved.”
The imminent collision between the reconditioned Saracens tank and France’s Louis Picamoles should be among the highlights at the Stade de France, where England’s reshuffled pack will be seeking to show more dynamism than they displayed at Twickenham last Saturday. Vunipola has rarely sounded more determined to make a impact, both in attack and defence: “It’s a big job for me to get the team on the front foot, but also to stop the other team’s momentum. I guess I have a big challenge against France to win the approval of not only the coaches but those beside me. The [World Cup] cut is coming soon and we all know that.”
If nothing else, England are in need of more ball carriers up front capable of seizing games by the scruff. Vunipola, who will be winning his 18th cap, has been studying his rivals around the world – “I don’t think there is anyone else who is 130kg in the back row” – and now feels significantly better prepared for what lies ahead. “I guess the Six Nations helped me a lot. I finally showed the boys I could play 80 minutes and do the job they wanted,” reflects Vunipola. “I feel much more at ease in camp and able to put myself in positions to have the ball in my hand and control things. I’m a little more confident than I was and it has helped me improve massively.” He may be less of a big beast than he used to be but, judging by the renewed glint in his eyes, less could well be more.
