Weight and see the new Gesinde

Jun 26 2007 by Nick Purewal, Evening Chronicle

THERE IS no getting away from the fact sometimes, in rugby, size does matter – and for Eni Gesinde he has the height now he needs the weight.

Tipping the scales at a lean 15st 1lb for his 6ft 4in frame, rampaging flanker Gesinde makes no secret of his continuing quest to bulk up.

While he expected that mission to be secondary to a burgeoning first team role in his breakthrough season, injury forced him to spend more time on the weights than he anticipated.

A nagging knee complaint worsened continually until surgery was the only answer just after the turn of the year, and Gesinde has been in rehab solidly ever since.

Now he is fully-fit after some intensive gym work, and keen to claw back lost ground, while making sure he peaks at the right time this term.

He said: “I was injured around November but did not have the operation until January – I played on with the injury until I could not keep going.

“I knew I had a problem but we were not sure whether it would need an operation, but it ended up that I needed it after all.

“Now, after four months out, I am ready to come back stronger.

“A bit of bone was floating around on the knee and a some of the tendon was degenerated so I had to have that scooped out.

“After that it was a case of starting again and trying to get my knee strong.

“It does not feel sore at all now. At the beginning it became quite sore when I was driving, but it is fine now.

“Running and training is fine now, and I am doing extra leg weights as part of the ongoing rehab.

“I have to keep going so that I do not relapse and hopefully I can hit the pre-season games flying.”

Gesinde said he will do whatever it takes to put on the extra bulk – but not at the expense of losing his edge in the lineout, or around the park.

He added: “I am still doing lots of extra weight sessions, trying to get strong and put on some weight.

“I am doing whatever I have to do to get myself big and strong – I want to be as big as Ben Woods, pushing for representative honours.

“I am still 15 stone but I would love to put on another stone, but it has to be the right kind of weight.

“I will keep trying hard and stick to my game and hopefully as I get older I will fill out.

“We did talk about putting fat on, but that would restrict my agility and speed which is a big part of my game play, so that’s a non-starter.

“Last season I worked very hard over the summer and I came into the year well, but then I pitted out just before Christmas and then I got injured, so it is getting that balance right this time around.”