The king of bling is the perfect player to fill Billy Whizz's shoes

His wife, Sienna, can't do the trademark braids tight enough for his liking, so it has become a Do It Yourself job.

It wasn't like this in his league days up in Yorkshire.

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The 'Volcano' from Tonga found an African woman in Leeds to do his styling. Then it was the turn of Michelle from Huddersfield, who did all the intricate braiding in just 30 minutes.

Those flying visits to the salon compared favourably with the eight-hour marathon of cutting and knotting and brushing which preceded Vainikolo's wedding in Auckland back in 2004.

That was another braiding operation, but the 28-year-old has lost count of how many ways he has re-arranged his hair — from the big afro to the time he start a colouring craze among Bradford Bulls fans.

But the patterns on his scalp are not the only things that set Vainikolo apart from just about any other rugby player to be honoured with an England call-up.

He also loves his bling, as the owner of a necklace of white gold and d iamonds.

Try imagining that on Martin Johnson or Jason Leonard.

Then there's the car; a Cadillac Escalade.

Before crossing codes in the summer, he insisted he bought it for Sienna and was content to limit himself to a more modest Vauxhall Vectra.

But insiders at Gloucester reveal that he always makes the grandest of entrances — 'a big man in a big car'.

Vainikolo is a natural giant who did not start weight training until he joined the Canberra Raiders rugby league team in Australia in 1998.

He did not need to, as someone who 'can't say no to mum's cooking'.

One of five brothers, Lesley was six when his parents moved the family to New Zealand.

There, he took up rugby union until a friend coaxed him into giving league a try aged 11. He took to it like a duck to water, despite the competing distraction of supreme potential as a sprinter.

As a teenager, he was timed at 10.6 seconds for the 100 metres, setting a new national junior record.

That achievement also saw him qualify for the World Junior Championships, despite having enjoyed virtually no formal athletics training.

But the magnetic pull of the 13-man code pulled him in, especially once his boyhood hero, Mal Meninga, made a personal call to tempt Vainikolo to cross the Tasman Sea and join the Raiders.

His exploits there earned him a transfer to Bradford in 2000 and he took the English game by storm with his try-scoring heroics — touching down 149 times in 151 matches for the Bulls and setting a Super League record with 37 tries in 2004.

Since joining Gloucester at the second time of asking, he has crossed the line nine times in as many games.

Whenever he scores, whether in league or in union, he kisses the end of the ball as a gesture of thanks to God.

For those England fans searching for positive omens, Vainikolo's religious faith is manna from heaven. The masses at Twickenham will hope that this Christian crosscode wing can fill the void left by another one who has just retired — Jason Robinson.

Although the new man prefers to utilise his bulk by resorting to a more direct running game than 'Billy Whizz', he does also possess nimble footwork.

While Robinson wore wrist bands adorned with a cross, Vainikolo has a pre-match routine involving a bible presented to him by his parents.

His ritual is one he swore by during his time at Bradford. He will read passages from the bible, say prayers and place the bible on the club crest on his shirt — to bless his team.

He will also bless the opposition 'just to look after them'.

While his beliefs help him, England will be banking on massive Vainikolo putting the fear of God into the rest of Europe's rugby elite.

But the Red Rose answer to Jonah Lomu was also eligible to play for Tonga or New Zealand — who he represented in 12 league Tests — and before joining Gloucester, he was not sure where his allegiance would lie.

"I've heard nothing from Tonga (but) if the chance comes I'll put up both hands," he said at the time.

"It's a hard decision, but I would love to play for the All Blacks. England have put food on the table for me every year, and I would put my hand up."

However, those purists tempted to grumble about a badge of convenience should be aware that Vainikolo has swiftly settled into to his new surroundings at Kingsholm, among the numerous young Englishmen who have been working wonders for the Cherry and Whites.

He may be humble, but there's a joker in there, too.

A Gloucester insider said yesterday: "Les is the sort of guy who wouldn't think twice about throwing the fitness trainer into the pool during training."

If he can stand his ground in the typically Anglo-Saxon world of banter and practical jokes, Vainikolo should soon become one of the lads.

And if he scores five tries on his England debut, as he did for Gloucester, even the traditionalists will accept him with open arms.