beaten up last night and a little sore this morning.Uhila

If you told Hurricanes loosehead Loni Uhila hed be a Super Rugby champion 12 months ago, he wouldve punched you in the face.Yet the 122kg props journey from a Tongan village to the pinnacle of club rugby reached its zenith on Saturday with his sides 20-3 victory over the Lions.The 27-year-old went pro for the Hurricanes at the start of 2016 after toiling away in the Mitre 10 Cup for Waikato.Uhila told NZN he juggled rugby training, boxing, family life and work at a warehouse on his steady climb to the top.Id still be at work at Prolife Foods and unloading containers and coming home excited to watch the final, he said when asked where he was this time last year.To make it this far in such a small amount of time is special and a blessing for me and my family.Uhila was thrust into the Hurricanes starting line-up for the sides quarterfinal thumping of the Sharks after Reggie Goodes concussion in the previous week.The Tongan Bear has since proved his worth in the No.1 jersey through hard running, tackling and solid work in the scrum.Alongside his teammates, Uhila managed to keep the Hurricanes opposition tryless in all three Super Rugby 2016 finals matches.But he said the grand final was the toughest match of all.We all know the South African sides love their forwards and their set pieces and stuff like that, it was pretty tough and grinding, Uhila said.I was a bit beaten up last night and a little sore this morning.Uhila hopes his late-season Hurricanes form can attract the interest of Tonga selectors and help fulfil his dream of playing for the `Ikale Tahi in a Rugby World Cup.But in the meantime hell be returning to the Mitre 10 Cup with Waikato.Wherever rugby will take me, Ill grab it and give it 110 per cent, he said. PARIS -- Nikolay Davydenko will skip Wimbledon for the first time since his debut at the All England Club in 2002. The Russian made the announcement after ending a five-match losing run by defeating Florent Serra 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round at the French Open on Tuesday. Davydenko says "I dont think Ill play on grass" as "I prepare for four more tournaments on clay afteer Wimbledon.dddddddddddd." The 48th-ranked Russian, who is making his 12th appearance at Roland Garros, hasnt had much success on grass. His best showing at Wimbledon was reaching the fourth round in 2007, and he lost in the first round the past two years. Davydenko reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2005 and 2007. He next faces Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan. ' ' '