\n<\/p>\n
Joining Connacht – then coached by fellow Aucklander Pat Lam – proved the launching pad. <\/p>\n
In the 2015-16 season, he missed only one game as the side won their first Pro12 title. Aki was named player of the year and, having completed a three-year residency period as per World Rugby rules at the time, he became eligible to represent Ireland before the 2017 autumn internationals.<\/p>\n
His inclusion in the Irish squad sparked an intense debate around World Rugby’s three-year residency rule – which was later extended to five – but Aki says he has learned to block out the outside noise.<\/p>\n
“It was always there,” he said of the noise surrounding the rule.<\/p>\n
“Obviously a lot of people interviewed me about it. I tried to stay away from it because I knew of the noise going around, guys getting angry about it. <\/p>\n
“I would lie to say I didn’t see it. A lot of online stuff. It just comes with it. I was lucky having people around me, my partner said, ‘you don’t need to worry about it, you just need to perform and then that’s it’.”<\/p>\n
Fellow New Zealand-born backs James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park also qualified for Ireland under the residency rule and Aki said they still “get noises about it”. <\/p>\n
He added: “I think it’s just part of it. I have no issues with people’s opinions. Unless they come and say it to my face while my kids and wife are there, that’s a different story.<\/p>\n
“It’s alright for people to say what they’re going to say. It’s not going to hurt me.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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