By David Ogilvie
Cheek and speed can only take one so far.
So gym pass in hand this week, Api Koroi's going to start throwing some weights around.
Koroi, who reckons he weighs only "around 75kg", is conscious he needs a bit more grunt if he's going to have a realistic chance of
making Guy Lennox's representative rugby squad.
"I'm getting my gym pass this week, so I can do some weights and get some more muscle," grinned 19-year-old Koroi after another stellar tryscoring performance for Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau on Saturday.
Koroi's four tries took his season's total to 15 in just six matches, proving him a lethal addition to the Kaierau outfit which lacked sheer pace last year.
His pace is exciting - he was Wanganui High School sprint champion last year and second in the Wanganui championships to last year's Wanganui rugby excitement machine Waisake Ratunideuba.
Now he must be rated a decent chance of forcing the selection issue with Lennox to take Ratunideuba's place in the squad.
Koroi, born in Fiji, moved with his family to Wanganui when he was just four years old - he spent five years at City College and last year at WHS, making the first XV at both.
Incidentally he scored 27 tries for WHS last year while playing at second five-eighth - seven of them in one match.
Koroi and John Mow between them have close to 30 tries for Kaierau this year.
"I enjoy playing with Johnny - I've learnt a lot from him, he's always talking to me," Koroi says.
KOROI'S RECORD
April 10 - 2 tries v Marton.April 17 - 3 tries v Pirates.April 24 - 1 try v Ruapehu.May 1 - 4 tries v Taihape.May 10 - 1 try v Marist.May 17 - 4 tries v Ratana.
