Sione Tuipulotu wants Lions series win in home town of Melbourne after being rejected by Australian rugby

Melbourne-born Sione Tuipulotu lifts the lid on his feud with Joseph Suaalii, and the ‘chip on his shoulder’ he has after getting rejected by Australian rugby.

Melbourne-born Lions star Sione Tuipulotu would love nothing more than sealing a series victory over the Wallabies in his home town, revealing he still carries a chip on his shoulder from being overlooked for higher honours.

While the barnstorming centre admits he wasn’t good enough a player to represent the Wallabies while playing for Melbourne Rebels, it’s clear that Scotland and now the Lions are reaping the benefits of a talent Aussie scouts never fully recognised.

And now Tuipulotu can exact the ultimate revenge by leading the Lions to a 2-0 series victory at the MCG on Saturday.

Sione Tuipulotu playing for the Rebels nearly 10 years ago. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/AAP Image

“I think if you’d ask me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say, yeah it is personal,” Tuipulotu said.

“There is still a chip on my shoulder, what has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder.

“But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. I wasn’t good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn’t a selector problem, I wasn’t good enough, that’s plain and simple.

“I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they’ve made me the player that I am today and now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series.”

Sione Tuipulotu scored the series’ opening try. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images

It’s a full circle moment for the 28-year-old, who scored the first try of the series in the Lions’ 27-19 win in Brisbane last weekend.

“It’s kind of crazy that we can close out the series in my hometown where I grew up,” he said.

“I know all of the attention is going to shift on to how we can play better from this game. We left a lot of points out there in the first half.

“The game should have been done a long time. The first 30-40 minutes, we could have put enough points on there to really put a nail in the coffin. But to go back to Melbourne this week, hopefully play in front of my family, the stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.”

Much was beforehand about Tuipulotu’s battle with Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, given the pair had a heated encounter last November in Edinburgh, but there were less fireworks this time around.

“There is always talking on the field, isn’t there? I spoke to him after the game and he’s a competitor and so am I,” Tuipulotu said.

Sione Tuipulotu has a running battle with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I don’t say sorry about anything I say on the field and I’m sure he’s the same. He’s out there competing, this is the highest level of rugby and it should be like that.

“It should be opposite positions going at each other, that’s what people want to see. I thought he was good tonight and it was nice playing against him.”

This match in Melbourne will be a special one for the Tuipulotu family, Sione explained.

“My brother was flag-bearer for the game (in 2013 against the Lions), my little brother (Mosese) was flag-bearer for the game. Mosese, it was pretty cool man,” he said.

“It’s crazy that 12 years later I’m playing in one of these in a Test game. I’m really grateful.”

Originally published as Sione Tuipulotu wants Lions series win in home town of Melbourne after being rejected by Australian rugby