Bundee Aki admits his game is not exactly where he wants it to be and knows he has to start performing if he wants to keep pace with the rest of Ireland's centres.
The Connacht man has always been a firm favourite of head coach Andy Farrell, who picked the 35-year-old for two Test starts and a run off the bench in last summer’s British and Irish Lions series against Australia.
Along with the rest of the tourists he was afforded a rest period after the summer and played just once for his province in the URC before coming on as a replacement against New Zealand, while he wasn’t in the matchday panel for last weekend’s 41-10 win over Japan.
He starts on the bench for tomorrow’s clash with Australia where he will win his 67th cap if introduced. Robbie Henshaw and fit-again Stuart McCloskey start.
After dovetailing with regular centres Garry Ringrose and Henshaw for much of his Ireland career going back to his debut in 2017, McCloskey and Tom Farrell have now entered the fray.
"Probably not at the point where I want it to be, but that's what it is," he told RTÉ Sport when asked where he believed his game was.
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"You just got to adapt and go with it.
"We have such a healthy competition here in the Irish group with the likes of Robbie, Ringer, Stu and now Tom Farrell, all quality players.
"So it's a matter of how much can you improve your game and how much can you take your game to another level and that's what I need to do.
"No, I wouldn't say [my form] is a physical or mental thing.
"It's just see there's a healthy competition, guys who've been playing very well for their provinces. You obviously saw Stu play very well in the New Zealand game. Then saw Robbie and Tom playing the Japan game.
"The guys are putting their hands up."
When fans and pundits talk about Ireland’s age profile ahead of the World Cup in two years’ time, it’s Aki at the top of the list.
The former Chiefs man will be 37 when the tournament kicks off and was asked if he plans to make the trip to Australia.
"I have to be around first for the next few camps, don’t I?" he said.
"'Whatever role I get put in the squad, whether it's starting, bench or not playing, I'm there to make sure that I give it everything.
"Helping out the guys who are playing, helping out the guys who are on the bench or making sure that we're all across our same work.
"I don't think age plays a really big part of it. I think you've just got to make sure that you're ready to go whenever you get called upon."
Connacht, under new head coach Stuart Lancaster, provide three of the squad for tomorrow’s game, Mack Hansen (above) and Cian Prendergast the other two, while Caolin Blade and Finlay Bealham have already featured this window.
There were five Westerners in the Ireland XV team that beat Spain last Saturday.
"I think Stuart's done a great job with the Connacht boys," added Aki.
"Guys are getting confidence back, guys are starting to believe in themselves again and you can see it in the way they're playing and the way they get selected in the XV that you're saying.
"Paul Boyle's playing unbelievable rugby at the moment. Shayne Bolton is a class player, and Sean Jansen as well.
"So the confidence of those boys, obviously when they're in camp, probably when they first started they were a bit shy, but now they're coming out of their shells.
"And having confidence in the way they play and yeah, they're just expressing themselves at the moment now."
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