While every other Worcester player spent the summer flying round the world on their well earned holidays, Dominic Feaunati was striving to shed nearly two stones of excess baggage without going anywhere near an airport.

Enormous physique notwithstanding, the burly centre had perfected a highly convincing impression of the Invisible Man since arriving at Sixways in January.

Just two Premiership appearances last term, both off the replacements bench, left many of the club's supporters wondering not just why they'd signed him but whether he was even still at the club.

That changed on Saturday, however. With Worcester trailing London Wasps 24-10 and destined to slip to their second defeat in two games, the giant inside centre was sent on to register his sizeable presence on proceedings.

He did just that. A couple of surges through midfield put Mike Ruddock's team on the front foot, sufficiently so for Kai Horstmann to cut the arrears to seven points in the 70th minute.

Then, with five minutes to go, Feaunati capitalised on a surging counter-attack by Thinus Delport, rounded his man - courtesy of a bone-juddering hand-off - and bashed over to give Shane Drahm the chance to level the game. The Australian did just that but it was Feaunati who grabbed the headlines.

It all comes as some form of relief to a Samoan who is typically softly spoken. Like many of his countrymen, Feaunati is hard to handle on the pitch and hard to hear off it.

That diffidence hasn't been the only reason for his low profile, however. There was something messianic about his recruitment last season. Worcester were desperate for someone to ignite their back-line as they seemed destined for relegation.

But he never lived up to his billing. He was consigned to the boxed marked 'Failed Experiments' by the end of March - and for that, he takes sole responsibility. "To be fair, last year I was carrying a lot of weight," he says.

"I didn't play a lot at London Irish and I found the London life a bit too fast. There were always things to do, it was too busy.

"It wasn't really going out at night but there's loads of markets and things like that, my Mrs loves that sort of thing.

"The Midlands has been good for me, my family's happy here and for me that's the most important thing. There's more time to relax.

"I was 125kg and I'm 110kg now. I have dropped a lot, but I knew at the end of last season I had to do that and get ready for this season. It's hard to carry that weight as a back.

"I cannot blame anyone for not picking me last season. I can't say anything about the coaches, the structure, the system, the other players, not anything. It's down to the player himself and I blame myself."

Feaunati sought help from the club's back-room staff. He was advised on what to eat and when and the birth of his son in July meant he could not travel home to Samoa or New Zealand.

Instead, he spent his summer in Cannons, desperate to show the supporters the real Dominic Feaunati and prove the maxim that less is indeed more.

"I started before last season was over, when I knew I was not going to play again. I was beating myself up about it," he recalled.

"Everyone knows what I can do but I hadn't proved it for a long time. You can't base your reputation on what you've done in the past. You have got to show it every game, even Saturday's gone now.

"My Worcester career probably started on Saturday. I turned up unfit, so I owed it to the fans to get fit and turn it round.

"I am really optimistic about the future and the club. The trainers and my mates - the other players - know I am working hard. You get a lot more respect when people know you are working hard.

"When I came back from the month we had off, they noticed I had lost a lot when normally you put weight on when you are away from the club."

It is the sort of attitude that could force Ruddock to hand him his first Warriors start against Gloucester this weekend and, if Feaunati can make the same impact over 80 minutes that he made over 20, the new Worcester could be about to take off.