Matavesi knows all about being a youngster at Camborne.
His father Sireli played for Cornwall and Camborne in the 1980s after moving to the county to work as a miner.
Sireli’s three boys, Josh, Sam and Joel, have all become professionals with Sam playing for Cornish Pirates, Northampton, Toulouse and Lyon, as well as for Fiji, before returning to captain Camborne.
“This season so far has been my favourite in my career,” says Josh, who has helped Camborne go nine points clear at the top of National Two West, English rugby’s fourth tier, with 15 wins from 16 games.
“To be able to share with my brother (Sam) and my kids and his kids has been really special. It’s home, so it’s good to be home.
“We spoke in Japan in the World Cup, we were room-mates together before we played Australia and we were just talking rubbish in the room and he was just like ‘imagine being able to play for Camborne again’.
“We spoke about that in 2019 and 2024-25 it has come to reality, and to walk out of that that tunnel you know he’s leading the pack, he leads through actions, he’s been immense since he’s come.
“He’s really brought a standard that I feel was needed, and how good is it that we’ve had 18 colts from last year come through to the adult system and all they know now is the way in which Sam has led the way.
“Now those those young lads are the first ones here doing the extras, they’re running to drills, they’re creating standards so that the next 19-20 colts that come through, they know the standard is not just Sam saying it, it’s the young kids too.”
