Covid can't keep Tuala down long

DESPITE having played just seven games, Ahsee Tuala is having an eventful season.

- DANIEL GALLAN

Against Wasps last weekend, the 31-year-old Samoan almost cost his side a victory by declining to hoof the ball out to touch with his Northampton Saints 22-17 up at the hooter.

In December he escaped punishment following a citing for a “kicking” incident in a 29-10 win over Worcester Warriors.

Most dramatic of all, the softly spoken full-back has recovered from a bout of Covid-19.

“Ah, it wasn’t too bad actually,” he says in a tone that feels too casual for the subject matter. “At first I thought it was just ‘manflu’ but then I got tested and it turned out to be covid. It knocked me down for a few days. My wife got it, but not as bad. I was basically alone in my bed for a little while.”

Whether speaking about his brush with a disease that has killed around 2.5 million people or his love of rugby, Tuala delivers each line with levity. His Instagram feed is a wellspring of positivity and his approach on the field can easily be described as joyous.