He hasn’t abandoned his kamikaze-style approach, but Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau believes changes to his tackling technique will help extend his career well beyond an imminent milestone.
The Waratahs front-rower will bring up his 50th Test cap if selected in Australia’s first Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup game of the season against New Zealand in Sydney on August 16.
With Australia’s other veteran hooker and first choice 2014 captain Stephen Moore out with a long-term knee injury, that should be a formality for 28-year-old Polota-Nau, who started his Test career back in 2005.
He has had more than his share of injury setbacks, often showing little regard for his own safety.
His red-blooded commitment has frequently left him hurting and spectators wincing, with the hooker suffering concussion issues and a variety of other injuries.
“It (reaching 50 caps) will be a huge privilege, because I never thought I’d last this long really, with injuries,” Polota-Nau told AAP on Monday.
He has credited Waratahs defence coach Nathan Grey with making adjustments to his technique that make him less susceptible to injury.
“Little things, like using my feet a lot more to prepare myself for the tackle,” Polota-Nau said.
“Whereas beforehand I would just launch myself from five metres away and probably put myself more in a 50-50 position than a certainty to make the tackle.
“I like to impact myself by getting involved by just doing those sort of kamikaze type tackles.
“The intent of that will be still the same in my tackling.”
Polota-Nau was one of eight Waratahs who started in Australia’s impressive final Test win over France last weekend.
“Hopefully the `Tahs boys can get a lot of confidence by using that and taking that energy into the game (against the Brumbies) on Saturday,” he said.
While Polota-Nau said the Brumbies, who trail Australian conference-leading NSW by three points, would miss Moore’s energy and passion, he emphasised the Canberra-based franchise still had plenty of front row clout with two Wallaby props.
“Scotty (Sio) is there and Benny (Alexander) is there, they are a world class front row,” he said.
The Brumbies beat NSW 28-23 in Canberra back in March.
“I think early in the season we didn’t get our strategies right against the Brumbies,” he added.
“We just need to be tactically smart and hopefully on the night just be really accurate with our execution.”