How Taniela Tupou overcame demons to spark World Cup run

Taniela Tupou rebounded from a yellow card with one of his best game’s in gold in a positive ahead of the World Cup. But the Tongan Thor reveals Tokyo plans were never in his mind at the start of the year.

Taniela Tupou had one of his best game’s in gold against the Pumas. Picture: Getty

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Even 132kg giants get wracked by self-doubt which is why Taniela Tupou’s most imposing 40 minutes of the season have resharpened a true World Cup trump.

Tupou and fellow prop James Slipper were pivotal to the Wallabies’ 16-10 victory over Argentina with the jolting scrum supremacy they exerted in the second half last Saturday.

It was the perfect bounce-back for “Tongan Thor” after his missile-like clean-out, post whistle, was hit with a Test-turning yellow card in Johannesburg a week early.

At Suncorp Stadium, he found himself in a similar situation.

Taniela Tupou had one of his best game’s in gold against the Pumas. Picture: Getty

“I don’t know if it was a yellow card or not (because) I just did what I did at training,” Tupou said of the Test against South Africa.

“It was a big turning moment for our game last week, they scored after that (and) I learned my lesson to be more careful.

“There was one time I was going to go, hit someone in the ruck (against Argentina), and I thought, ‘nah I’m not going to risk it’.

“I’m trying to learn as much as I can from the older props at the Wallabies and stay focused.”

They are wise lessons for a prop who is still just 23 but the yellow card wasn’t the cause of his self-doubt.

After winning Super Rugby’s Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year gongs last year, he felt the weight of soaring expectations to excel.

“I went through a lot of personal stuff at the start of the year and it was really tough for me,” Tupou said.

Taniela Tupou was sin binned against South Africa. Picture: AP

He became consumed by negatives in games and it didn’t help driving home to an empty house because he was living by himself for the first time.

“There was one point there when I didn’t think about the World Cup,’ he said.

“To be honest I didn’t even think I’d be in a team because I wasn’t happy but I did the right thing in speaking up.”

He turned it around at the Reds, he’s smiling and joking again, he’s got a new iPhone X after a robber’s audacious snatch-and-grab in Johannesburg and he’s monstering rival props again.