Tupou Returns to Waratahs: Schmidt Bolsters Team vs. Lions

The Wallabies prop, Taniela Tupou, has been released to return to the NSW Waratahs for the franchise’s Super Rugby clash against the British & Irish Lions on Saturday night. Tupou will travel back to Sydney from Newcastle, where the Wallabies are preparing to face Fiji on Sunday, to help the Waratahs, who would otherwise be without regular starters Angus Bell, Dave Porecki, Langi Gleeson, Jake Gordon, Andrew Kellaway and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. Could be joined by winger Max Jorgensen, who missed the second half of Super Rugby due to a syndesmosis injury, but Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt could also give the winger a chance to shake off the rust against the Fijians. Tupou’s release comes after the outstanding performance of Western Force prop Tom Robertson against the Lions in Perth on Saturday night. Robertson had been shifted to the loosehead prop position after spending the entire Super Rugby season at tighthead prop for the Force, but the forward dominated the famous Irish and Lions tighthead prop, Tadgh Furlong, while wearing the number 1 jersey. Robertson and Force were unlucky not to get any reward from referee Ben O’Keeffe for their dominance in the first half and the pillar’s performance will not have gone unnoticed by Schmidt or Wallabies scrum coach Mike Cron. Meanwhile, Tupou had a forgettable Super Rugby season in which he struggled to make a significant impact after heading north from the now-defunct Melbourne Rebels. There were glimpses that he might have been turning the tide at the end of the season, but he had clearly been supplanted as the Wallabies’ first choice number 3 option by Brumbies star Allan Alaalatoa.

Schmidt may be eager to see Robertson and veteran James Slipper from the bench against Fiji on Sunday, given the duo’s adaptability to play on both sides of the scrum. Regardless, Tupou will drive a group of five forwards from the Waratahs who are severely weakened and inexperienced. The Lions are expected to test NSW, but they face a much tougher test against the Queensland Reds three days prior. Matt Faessler and Hunter Paisami were released last week from the Wallabies camp for the Reds’ clash with the tourists. Tupou’s release comes as speculation mounts that he will leave Australian rugby at the end of 2025 to accept a contract with French giants Racing 92. The current contract of Tupou with the Waratahs and Rugby Australia expires at the end of the year and will in no way obtain anything close to the price tag of $1 million that he commanded last time.