Taniela Tupou hailed as Wallabies best weapon against Georgia

With a place in the quarter-finals within reach, the Wallabies know they need to put their patchy performances behind them against a powerful Georgian pack — and that’s where Taniela Tupou comes in.

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Taniela Tupou is being urged to take on Georgia’s “tough buggers who don’t take crap from anybody” just like he heaved a mighty 300kg squat in the gym.

“Tongan Thor” has played just 40 minutes at this Rugby World Cup yet seasoned Wallaby Sekope Kepu knows how important the 132kg prop is for this tournament and years to come.

Tupou will be in the supersub role against Georgia in Shizuoka on Friday night when a repeat of his scrummaging and skittling ball-running (seven runs for 55m) against Uruguay would be ideal.

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Tupou is powered up for Georgia. Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

“All the boys were watching and encouraging … it was a walk in the park,” a grinning Tupou said of his 300kg feat in Japan.

You might fancy Tupou could retrain as a sumo but he’d be considered a lightweight when Japan’s traditional wrestlers average closer to 150kg and can devour more than 200 pieces of sushi a day.

Kepu, 33, will start in his 110th Test before a baton-change to Tupou for a bruising test against big, confrontational forwards like 130kg Konstantine Mikautadze and the skills many Georgians have honed in French rugby.

The 23-year-old hasn’t seen much action yet. Photo: AP Photo/Aaron Favila

“They have a great scrum and pack and will try to take us on there,” Kepu said.

“Look they are big boys and, just hearing from guys like Drew Mitchell who played with them at Toulon, they are tough buggers who don’t really take crap from anybody.

“Fair enough. That’s how they grew up, that’s their culture and it’s no different to us (having our own).”

Kepu knows how important it is for the Wallabies to click with their most complete performance of a patchy World Cup to take the right fire into the sudden-death quarter-finals.

Kepu knows the Wallabies need a more complete performance. Photo: William West / AFP

“We’ve spoken about starting well which is crucial for us because when we do we can really put teams away like we did in Perth (when beating the All Blacks 47-26),” Kepu said.

Tupou uses “uncle” as a respectful title for Kepu but the senior prop knows this is no kid he has been mentoring for battles just like this.

“Against Uruguay, you saw what he can do and I just encourage him to bring that (high-impact) side of his game,” Kepu said. “He’s the strongest out on the field I can guarantee that.”

Both may be competing for the back-up tighthead role behind the rested Allan Alaalatoa but it’s healthy competition.

“We’re roomies as well. Taniela and I are good mates and regardless of who is in the match 23 or not we are still pushing each other,” Kepu said.

“What I try to put in perspective is the end goal … it’s a squad effort to do it as a team, nothing to do with an individual.”

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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said he was really pleased with Tupou’s explosive impact against Uruguay but eliminating dropped ball after he’d breached the defence was a critical next step.

Kepu wants to sign off from the Wallabies with a bang and is doing his best to savour every moment after 11 years in gold.

“Knowing these are my last few weeks in the jersey I’ve really learnt to embrace every moment whether it’s hanging out more with guys to soak up the environment or taking in the packed houses of Japanese people at games with all the colour,” Kepu said.