Augustus: I fight to stop feeling sick

SAINTS fans’ favourite Juarno Augustus leaves nothing in the tank on the pitch and is close to emptying his stomach off it every weekend because of a bad bout of prematch nerves.

- JON NEWCOMBE

Opening the window on what he goes through immediately prior to kickoff, the quietly spoken South African offers a fascinating insight into the anxiety he suffers before running out in front of thousands of fans.

“Before the game, I kind of get a little anxious, and I almost throw up before the game,” the fearsome 26-year-old No.8 said.

“It all just builds up at once, five minutes before kick-off. But as soon as I run onto the field it all just disappears because I know I am going into battle with my team-mates, brothers of mine, and they’ll have my back if anything goes wrong. That’s just me.

“I don’t know what it is. I don’t think it is nerves about not doing well or being scared and afraid to play or about getting injured. When that happens I know that I really want

to do it, it shows that I really care.”

Augustus overcame a knee “niggle” to start the season off the bench in the defeat at Bath, replacing Sam Graham with half an hour to play.