Tatafu Polota-Nau said it was a huge honour to take the field with Dave Dennis in his 100th game for NSW and has revealed it was he who was actually a wily 16-year-old five-eighth when he used to play alongside Dennis in junior footy.
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"I played [No.]10 and he played in the second row for Nepean," says Polota-Nau with pride in his voice. "Cause we went through the season too easy, I thought it [playing five-eighth] was too easy, so I thought I had better move into the forwards. I also discovered the love of food."
Polota-Nau clearly moved into a more suitable position, but the pair are set for a challenging assignment against the Stormers on Sunday morning (AEST) in what will be Dennis' 100th Super Rugby game.
"He gets the glory while I do the behind-the-scenes work," Polota-Nau said jokingly. "He's a guy that will always be there when you need him and it's a small accolade of what's he's about."
The Waratahs hooker said he was pleased with how he fared in his own comeback game last week after having a plate inserted into his right forearm following NSW's loss to the Brumbies in round two.
"Hopefully I get a few more minutes, but it's also a matter of getting a bit more comfortable with my arm," Polota-Nau said. "It feels a bit different to what it was before, but it's not to say that stops me doing normal things like tackling, squeezing and catching the ball. It's a matter of getting back on the field and getting used to it."
Polota-Nau said the Waratahs want to build on their win against the Force in front of what he said would be a "hostile" crowd in Cape Town.
"Now that we've got a taste of it [winning], it's pretty much about translating that into the game against the Stormers," Polota-Nau said. "We have to stay patient. It's a matter of being patient and executing at the critical moments.
"We're hoping to make sure the Stormers don't even cross the line."
