Radike Samo earns Wallaby recall seven years after last Test

One is inextricably linked to the other achievement because the Fijian powerhouse credits his no-alcohol stance for playing like a young buck in 2011 rather than the 35-year-old his passport suggests he should be.

Samo remembers the old days when he still felt lethargic at training on Mondays from a night of post-match good cheer on a Saturday.

"They don't mix. I've felt so much better in the body this year," Samo said in Durban as he lapped up the likelihood he would be unleashed as an impact weapon off the bench in the crucial Test against South Africa tomorrow morning (AEST).

That he had a beer at all during the Reds' heady celebrations in July was all down to a bet. He'd have a beer if they won the title, he promised younger teammates who were still in school when he had his six-Test fling in 2004.

He torpedoed the beer, as urged, and quietly slipped out and went home so as not to be tempted further in the fun-fuelled party because news of his call-up to the 40-man Wallabies training squad had leaked through.

"I've been away so long. It's just been awesome to be here. I never thought I'd make the 40 and now I'm in the 22 for a Test," Samo said.

"If I get the chance, I can't wait to get on the field."

Samo has not been picked as part of some new retirement plan for old Wallabies. He is a genuine World Cup selection wildcard with his explosiveness should sidelined Wycliff Palu's body fail him for Thursday's selection D-Day or he has a massive cameo in Durban.

"It will feel like Radike's first cap - he's got the opportunity here and now to to really push himself forward," said Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.

The father-of-two is still pinching himself. He was chilling back in Fiji last year for more than a month and looking back at his trophy moments with the ACT Brumbies (2004) and French club Stade Francais (2007), plus a stint in Japan.

"I thought it was over for me ... the big rugby was done," Samo said, adding that he was "eating junk food and taking it easy when the call came" from Queensland.

Reds coach Ewen McKenzie reactivated him in a program that Samo found highly motivating because of the attacking style and youth everywhere around him.

Genia had people in stitches at the Wallaby squad announcement last month when he explained his new nickname of Rusi.

"People reckon I look like Radike's son (Rusi). He's taller than me . . and he's only nine," Genia laughed.

Working With Animals in South Africa – Horsing Around on the West ...

Article by Mark Bottell

If you want to achieve positive and lasting effects in your life, do not hang around at home for your gap year! Join the volunteering movement. This is a movement that values experiential learning and thrives on you discovering the world and becoming atuned to different cultures and countries. It abets global awareness, environmentalism and a concern for all living beings on this planet.

If you are looking for an adventure in a hands-on learning environment, sign up for something overseas. If you like working with animals, you will find many different opportunities in places such as South Africa, Malaysia and India. If you are certifiably “horse crazy,” you might want to consider going to the Wild Coast of South Africa to work with the wild horses that live there.

Wild Horses on the Wild Coast

This may not be the Wild, Wild West of the United States, but you can still find rugged scenery and beautiful wild horses. The Wild Coast is on the side of South Africa that faces the Indian Ocean. This jagged-edged stretch of land provides you with pristine coastline and untouched forests, and from rock-strewn heights, waterfalls tumble down to meet the sea. It is a wonderful place to explore before, after and during your gap year experience.The closest city to the range of the wild horses and the rehabilitation centres is East London. From here, it is a short, 30-minute trip to the horse refuge and farm. This is a working farm so you will have a set schedule of chores to perform – you may be working with animals, but you will not be horsing around!

Not Horsing Around

Working with animals has been the dream of many a teenager, and for some, the feeling never vanishes even when they plan a different career path. It does help if you have a love of horses to handle this job though. You will have the support of a strong team, however, and they will be keen for you to learn. They also want you to enjoy the experience. Your job as a volunteer may include:• Helping in the rehabilitation of former working and abused rescue horses• Feeding horses• Grooming horses• Examining them for wounds and other possible problems• Exercising horses• Cleaning and refilling water troughs• Mucking out stalls• Dipping, greasing and treating horses for ticks

Yet, tired as you may find yourself at the end of the day, you will always want to find time to go for a trail ride. In fact, this is the perfect end to your day working with animals. Taking a horseback ride along the Wild Coast gives you a breathtaking view of the rugged splendour of the coastal heights and the texture of the rough bush.

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