Winger Henry Fa'afili praises Leeds Carnegie team-mates

Fa'afili joined Leeds from Biarritz

Leeds Carnegie's Henry Fa'afili has put his good form down to his team-mates.

The 29-year-old former rugby league player has now become Leeds' first choice winger after finally getting a consistent run in the team.

"I'm learning every day and it helps playing with such talents players," Fa'afili told BBC Radio Leeds.

"The way the other backs are playing at the moment makes my job easy. It's great to learn from these more experienced players."

Fa'afili signed for the Headingley outfit from French club Biarritz on a two-year deal in the summer, but the winger's first few month's were less than smooth.

Visa problems meant he did not arrive in the UK until the second month of the season, which then meant he could not be registered to play in the Europe Challenge Cup.

I think that consistency of selection on matchdays and also being able to train together a lot during the week is really helping us.

Leeds winger Henry Fa'afili

To add to his woes, Fa'afili was then banned for three weeks in November after being sent off during international duty for Samoa.

It all meant the former Warrington Wolves player had to wait until February to make his first Premiership start and has now started in Leeds' last six games in all competitions.

"Getting a regular run of games in the first team has really helped me. To be training hard and playing regularly has helped me really settled into this side now. The great team spirit here has help that too," explained Fa'afili.

"The guys around me are really playing well at the moment. The fly-halves Ceiron Thomas and Joe Ford are playing well and putting us in the right direction.

"We haven't had too many injuries of late in the backs and I think that consistency of selection on matchdays and also being able to train together a lot during the week is really helping us.

"The lack of injuries also mean there is more competition for places in the backs now. We are being really pushed by the other guys. That's very healthy and keeps us all on our toes.

"We have to keep working hard, pushing forward and improving because the job isn't done yet."