Perenara’s hunger strong as ever

Editor

Hurricanes scrum-half TJ Perenara wants to take his winning experience with the All Blacks and use that to his benefit in Super Rugby.

Last season's beaten finalists are stepping up their pre-season preparations as Perenara and the likes of Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett and Nehe Milner-Skudder get ready for their first competitive action since winning the Rugby World Cup last year.

Outlining the mental approach to letting that success sink in, Perenara now plans to use it to his advantage.

"I see it working in two ways," Perenara told The Dominion Post.

"There's the after-effect once you first win it and that moment when you know that you have won and have achieved a certain goal [and you feel satisfied].

"Then you go to that place where you want more and the only way you get more is by working harder and being better.

"A lot of our boys have come together and talked and we know the only way we can achieve that same sort of feeling is by winning and we want to win here [at the Hurricanes] just as much as we wanted to win last year and just as much as we want to win with the All Blacks."

Perenara will also be stepping up into a key leadership role after the departures of Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and more at the end of last season.

"I certainly take different traits from all the leaders that I've been around, but the one thing that's common with all of those leaders is that they've played well out on the field," added Perenara.

"The first thing you need to do as a leader is play well and it's the little things that you do, on and off the field, that sets standards.

"It's not talking for the sake of talking or trying to dominate the group with your presence or anything."