END OF AN ERA
By The Saracens
June 27 2024
It will be strange next season for there not to be any Vunipolas (Vunipolae?) on the Sarries team. We’ve got used to 1, 2 or all 3 of them being on the pitch. Mako joined us in 2011 and his brother Billy 2 years later. Cousin Manu has been around since 2017 The Vunipola phenomenon has sustained both Sarries and England for the past 11 years and their absence from the match day squad will be strange at least.
Both Mako and Billy had various options as to which nation they would represent. Mako was born in NZ, Billy in Australia of Tongan parents. They were raised in Wales and went to school in England (Mako to Millfield and Billy famously won a scholarship to Harrow). Mako began his career at Bristol before joining Sarries in the summer of 2011, Billy started at Wasps but as was widely reported at the time, hated opposing his elder brother on the pitch so it was probably inevitable he would join Mako at Sarries which he did in 2013. Having been selected for youth and A teams, the brothers both made their England debuts in 2012.
Much has been written about their extraordinary upbringing - dad who was their personal trainer, sergeant major and unforgiving taskmaster and mum who was a Christian minister. Allegedly even today the brothers are far more worried about getting in their parents’ bad books than anything the Rugby Disciplinary Committees can throw at them.
They are very different characters. Mako probably looked old on the day he was born. He appears to be carrying the woes of the world on his shoulders. He looks knackered from the moment he enters the pitch yet appearances are deceptive as he proved during his long career both for England and Sarries propping up the scrum. Billy probably weighed 2 stone at birth. He was always big for his age. There is a photo of him in primary school looking like Will Ferrell in Elf. He used his bulk to his advantage pushing the scrum forward from between the bottoms of many esteemed lock forwards. Mako was the serious dependable big brother while Billy was the wild child who got himself in trouble rather too often. Even at the age of 11 he was dropped from his school team for being too moody. He didn’t seem to learn from his mistakes: take the recent incident in a Majorcan bar where he was tasered after getting drunk – alcohol and Billy are not a good mix!
Billy struggled with fractures to his arms, breaking his right arm 3 times and his left arm once. Perhaps they were just not strong enough to support the rest of his enormous body. Mako fared a bit better with injuries although he missed the 2019 Final through injury.
Mako helped Sarries to 5 Premiership titles and 3 European Champions Cups. He won 79 England caps before retiring in January this year, and represented the Lions on 9 occasions and over 3 tours. He was England player of the year in 2018. Mark McCall said “ few players change how their position is played. Mako’s all round skill set, rugby intelligence and physicality made us as coaches rethink what’s possible from a loose head prop.” Like Brits before him, his main skills were away from the scrum and as he got older sadly that began to show.
Billy played 194 times for Sarries on the way also helping them to 5 Premierships and 3 European titles including a try in the win over Leinster in Newcastle. He represented England 75 times. Although selected for the Lions tour of 2017 he was forced to withdraw through injury. Nevertheless he made that no 8 shirt his own and was described by Mark McCall as “world class”.
Mako and Billy seem to be related to every Tongan in the Premiership including Eroni Mawi and Toby Faletau. Christianity has always been important too them both although for Billy in particular his views on homosexuality got him into trouble. Tongan heritage is also important. Billy went back to Tonga for a traditional wedding to Simmone (appropriately a dietician) where Mako was best man (allegedly he made a terrible speech which James Haskell more than made up for). Mako married Alex in a traditional British ceremony. Allegedly she insisted after Billy’s nuptials.
We wish them both well although I have to say that any sane rugby fan must have concerns about Billy going to the toxic environment that is Montpelier. Barely surviving a relegation playoff, the 2023 champions, having sacked Richard Cockerill after just 7 games, Montpelier are now led by Patrice Collazo. Billy will be joined there by French prop Mohammed Haouas (twice shown red for aggressive incidents against Scotland and with his contract at Biarritz terminated because of a conviction for domestic abuse) and Stuart Hogg, a man with his own demons, is also joining. One hopes our Billy doesn’t fall off the rails especially if Mako isn’t there to catch him. As for Mako, his destination hasn’t yet been announced but it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t head off to Japan with Manu or somewhere similar.
A brief word for cousin Manu. Never a favourite of mine he was a decent enough 10, a bit like Nicky Little, Gordon Ross, Nils Mordt, but never quite good enough for Sarries. The bar raised a tad too high. I wondered why they never tried him at 12? He never fully realised his early promise. I have to say I was surprised to discover he has played for Sarries 77 times. But that probably says it all. He joins Honda Heat in Japan next season which may suit him very well. But shorn of the Vunipolae, it will be a very different Saracens next season.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:07:21:20:34:46 by Darraghgirl.
Indeed. One of my favourite Billy stories is from the matchday programme a few years ago. It was one of those 60-second quick-fire Q&As:
Interviewer: What would you have been if you hadn't been a rugby player?
Billy: 300Kgs
The sheer nature of their role inevitably took its toll physically, and it’s no surprise they fell away from the phenomenal levels of 2019.
It’s hard to know how good Manu would have been away from Owens shadow. I could never understand why we didn’t get him more involved at Ampthill which would have developed his game management.
I really hope he can get back to promise he showed at England U20 levels
Mako and Billy have both been incredible for the club and agree that Makos play in the loose both workrate and handling really set him apart.
Best of luck to both and I look forward to seeing them back from time to time.
I'll always be in the camp (small tent!) of Manu having the talent but needing more backing. So often when given the reigns it was with a team deluded of at minimum many of our Internationals any struggles were met with questions as to his ability and that he wasn't Farrell (good luck in that regard Mr Burke!!)
I also think we coped out by backing Goode at 10 instead. Two great performances one with "team bin-juice" v full strength Bath for the first 40 and one in an almost full strength team at a similar time showed what he could do if backed. Both his short-kicking game and ability to take the ball to the line are better than that of any other Sarries play-maker including Farrell.
I'm sorry to lose him from both the club and Prem.
Good luck to him in Japan.
Interesting.
~ You never knowingly let the facts get in the way of the story. ~
Quote:OTsarrie
All too true….I will also miss the massed ranks of the Vunipola clan at the North East corner of Stonex on match days …
I used to sit in the part of the East Stand just behind where the Vunipola clan stood, and was amazed at how much they all ate during the game! Mrs Jonny was a dietitian before she retired and would sit there gobsmacked.
There's an element of bias in this as their build (like rugby players and others!} doesn't fit well with the standard measures but nevertheless it is a real problem, as reflected in the health issues that result. Culture, geography, colonialism and politics as well as genetics have played a part. How to resolve it?
Successful hills are here to stay
Everything must be this way
Gentle streets where people play
Welcome to the Soft Parade
🌻🌻🌻
I wish them the very best for their future and send a huge thanks for everything they both have done for Saracens.
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.