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The Canadian attack has been revamped, and Zaruba, who usually patrols the wing, has been used as a “crash” runner, bringing the ball back infield as something akin to a search and destroy missile, taking out defenders and opening holes for teammates.

“I love it, that’s what I live for,” he said, with a smile.

Photo by Jason McCawley / Getty Images

His coach is pleased with his progress.

“It seems to me he’s got some self-belief,” said Damian McGrath, who took over the team at the end of last summer. “He’s realized how good he could be and that takes you a long, long way.”

It’s about Zaruba improving and about the whole package, too.

“We’ve worked hard on his defence — but for the whole team, we have a way of playing we all believe in. I haven’t told them what to do or how to do, but why we’re going to do what we’re going to do, and they all believe in what we’re doing.”

“You play to your strengths. It’s using the players in what fits their ability, we’ve got some really talented players. I knew the potential, but I didn’t realize quite how good some of the individuals are.”

Zaruba points to the work he put in on improving his fitness as the key in reaching his sevens heights.

“Being a big boy playing sevens, it’s the biggest thing that can hinder or help my performance,” he said. “It’s about not shying away from working hard. That’s something I’ve tried to perfect, it’s the small things … diet, getting an extra hour of sleep, things like that.”

And after last year’s frustrations over not making the Olympics, a now-resolved dispute with Rugby Canada management over how the team is financed, the team as whole is in a better space, too.

“We’re just having fun again. we’ve dealt with that stuff, it’s in the past, it’s done, now we can just focus on playing the game.”

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