Tolu Latu’s World Cup campaign hangs in the balance as Wallaby selectors mull hooker’s ill-discipline

The World Cup hopes of Tolu Latu are in the spotlight, with the Waratahs hooker’s ill discipline once again coming back to bite him — with Wallaby selectors taking notice.

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 27: Tolu Latu of the Wallabies leaves the field after receiving a yellow card during the Bledisloe Cup test match between New Zealand All Blacks and Australian Wallabies at Nissan Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

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Copping a Super Rugby suspension might be the least of Tolu Latu’s problems after he was cited for dangerous play on the weekend.

The Waratahs hooker faces a ban if found guilty of the charge, which happened in the 79th minute of Saturday’s 31-30 win over the Sunwolves in Tokyo, but the repercussions could be even more costly.

Latu was ordered to front the SANZAAR judiciary last night after being cited for diving into a ruck, resulting in Sunwolves flanker Ed Quirk being stretchered off the field with a knee injury.

The poor disciplinary record of Tolu Latu (R) could come back to bite him. Picture: Getty

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The referees missed the incident so Latu wasn’t punished on the field but the citing commissioner deemed the incident to be worthy of a send off, leaving the former forklift driver sweating over his immediate and longer term fate.

Regardless of whether he gets suspended or not, the incident adds weight to the perception that Latu is a hothead prone to brain explosions, which in turn raise concerns about his suitability for the World Cup when Australia can’t afford to give away stupid penalties.

The 26-year-old has already got a long rap sheet.

He was given a four week ban in 2015 for up-ending Canterbury Crusader Sam Whitelock and a year later he was slapped with a one-game suspension for punching Matt Toomua.

On the field, Latu is a valuable asset. Picture: AAP

He was sin-binned during the Wallabies’ amazing comeback win over Argentina in Salta when he belted Santiago Garcia Botta but apparently didn’t learn his lesson.

Three weeks later he was given another yellow card when he was baited by All Black Codie Taylor in the final Bledisloe Cup match in Yokohama and lashed out by pushing the New Zealander in the face.

With the start of the World Cup now less than eight months away, Latu’s poor disciplinary record will come under fresh scrutiny although NSW Waratahs assistant coach Chris Whitaker said he doesn’t think the hooker has a major problem.

“It's part and parcel of rugby, isn’t it?” Whitaker said.

“It’s a contact sport and sometimes it's a fine line between when the ball's in, when the ball's out, what's legal, what's not.”