Prop Sekope Kepu says current Waratahs pack is best he’s played with

QUEENSLAND believe they will have an edge in the forwards in their clash against NSW, but Tahs prop Sekope Kepu has a blunt message for them.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 06: Sekope Kepu of the Waratahs takes on the defence during the round 18 Super Rugby match between the Waratahs and the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium on July 6, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

QUEENSLAND believe they will have an edge in the forwards in their clash against NSW on Saturday, but Tahs prop Sekope Kepu has a blunt message for them.

“This has got to be one of the best packs I’ve ever played with,” Kepu declared.

In a Wallabies-laden clash, the Reds and Waratahs will lock horns at Suncorp Stadium in a duel that could alter reputations and have a significant bearing on who gets chosen for the opening Bledisloe Cup Test.

Kepu, the form prop in Australia after a sterling series against France and a sensational display last weekend for NSW against the Highlanders, has no hesitation backing his pack over the Reds, who have talked up their forwards this week.

“Not taking any of the gloss away from the past forward packs [at NSW], I came in as a youngster, you had the Phil Waughs, the Dan Vickermans, they’re legends in their right, but I think we’ve got a lot of experience together,” Kepu said of the current crew.

“We’ve played a lot of rugby together as a pack for the last three or four years now.

“Coming together, the group is really, really tight, the belief and just the confidence and all of the work that Cheik (coach Michael Cheika) has been punching into us in the last two years.

“We all have to do the jobs to the best of our ability, and when someone fails to do it someone else has got to cover for them and vice-versa.

“You’ve just got to cover for each other, and everyone is working with their strengths.

“Guys like Pots [Jacques Potgieter], he’s got his own X-factor, so we’ve got to bring that to the table and guys have got to support around him. Cliffy [Palu] runs differently to him so we’ve got to provide and support each other as much as we can.

“I think we’ve done that really well, and we’ll try to continue doing that.”

Kepu is in the best shape of his career, as witnessed by the try he set up for Potgieter in last weekend’s win over the Highlanders, running around a defender late in the game before drawing two more and off-loading.

“I’m definitely reaping the rewards of the hard work we’ve had to put down in the last 12 months, and just the balance, the mental side of things is massive,” Kepu said.

“Cheik has done a lot of work on that in the last 12 months. It’s not only on-field, if you can get the off-field stuff right, that mental preparation side of things, things will have a flow-on effect.

“At the back end of last season we set some goals with our S and Cs (strength and conditioning coaches), and that was on the back of doing stuff with the Wallabies guys as well.

“The biggest thing for me was continually working on my fitness and doing the extras to be the 80-minute player.

“We’ve got good depth in our front-row stocks now, but I had no choice I had to stay out there — and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“You take as many opportunities as you can.

“But it’s coming along well, it is definitely something I’ve been working on in the last 12 months.”

While Kepu has shown incredible ball skills this season, he is keen to stamp out errors in his fundamental responsibility.

“First and foremost it’s set-piece,” Kepu said.

“There are maybe two or three scrums that I’m pretty dirty about, but we’ll work on those and try to fix it up for this week.”

Originally published as Prop Sekope Kepu says current Waratahs pack is best he’s played with