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Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Powerful Western Force back Junior Rasolea is heading into a new Super Rugby season with one goal - to make the outside centre spot his own.
But don't be surprised if, on occasions, he pops up on the inside.
The hard-running ball carrier was developing a solid midfield partnership with Kyle Godwin last season when injury struck.
Rasolea was sidelined for seven games with a broken wrist and Godwin missed the last six matches with a knee injury.
Godwin is earmarked as the starting No.12, but numbers might not mean much on the field.
"I've got this combination with Kyle at the moment, he can play 13 and I'll play 12 depending on the type of play," Rasolea said.
"We go into training talking about different types of attack, what we will take out of it.
"Whoever is in the position, the first player there will play that role."
Godwin has experience guiding the back line from fly-half, where he played for the Junior Wallabies before Force coach Michael Foley moved him out one spot.
"In the 12 position you can still direct the backs. You have the organisation and say what direction you want," Rasolea said.
"Kyle has that advantage. He's very hard driven. Whatever he says I'll do it, but whatever I say he'll do.
"It's a kind of love-hate relationship sometimes. We play well off each other."I'm definitely trying to take a spot in the centre. We can both truck the ball up, but we'll change it up if we feel like running it.
"We'll be sweet with that."
Rasolea has played a handful of games at inside centre and on the wing since his debut in 2012.
He said last year was about establishing himself, but this season he is ready to assert himself in the midfield.
"The first year in Super Rugby I was here and there, I had a couple of games off the bench, The second year I had some form but then I got injured," he said.
"The injury was a learning curve for me, character building. I found out a few things about myself."
The initial move from Brisbane was hard for Rasolea, who is very close to his family, but when the time came to re-sign for two more years at the Force they encouraged him to stay.
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