NSW Waratahs prop Isaac Kailea admits he's got no one to blame but himself for his Test demotion as the former Rebel looks to regain his spot in the set-up.
Kailea had a sizeable impact off the bench, scoring a try in the 36-12 win over the Queensland Reds to start the Super Rugby Pacific season.
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It was the type of performance that saw the prop bolt into Wallabies contention in 2024, making his debut before starting against the Springboks in Brisbane.
However, the 25-year-old found himself out of the Waratahs team altogether last year, managing just six appearances and one start.
“I was a bit disappointed, but I don't blame anyone else besides myself," he told Rugby.com.au at the start of the year. “I think coming off such a big year, you think everything else is going to align and not everything goes to plan.
"New system, new state, new coach, everything, I probably didn't put enough time into building the connection and the trust that I should have.
“I've had an extra 12-ish weeks to do that this year. Hopefully, I'm sure it will pay off this year. As I said, it was disappointing, but it was also a good learning curve for me about what's expected in a new environment."
Missing out on the British & Irish Lions tour due to injury was part of the fire that lit under Kailea as he toiled away to cement his spot in the 23.
"We speak about breaking bad habits as a team, and I definitely had some habits I probably needed to break myself to line up with performance," he admits.
"[I was] definitely a bit too comfortable, so I think this pre-season has probably been the best thing for me leading into the season...it was disappointing, but it was also a good learning curve for me about what's expected in a new environment. I think it's definitely a bit more professional up here, a lot more intense and a lot more competitive."
The Waratahs' Super Rugby AUS success was giving Kailea and the front row plenty of confidence, as evidenced by their powerful set-piece performance against the Reds last week.
“I think that competition really solidified the connections that each of us have on and off the field. We're together for so much longer, building bonds that you can only really do in games, and it helps that we won it all," Kailea added.
“Even though it was four games, we’ve still come out with some silverware, so I think winning is a habit, so the earlier you can start, the better it is for the season.”
