Hurricanes v Brumbies: rookie winger Lausi Taliauli to tackle All Black giant Julian Savea

IN just his second run-on appearance for the Brumbies, Lausi Taliauli, has been given the unenviable task of stopping rugby’s most damaging winger.

9/10/12 Australian Rugby 7's team train at Bond University on the Gold Coast. Lausi'i Taliauli. Pics Adam Head

BRUMBIES winger rookie Lausi Taliauli has been backed to step up after being handed the central role in “Operation Bus Stop” in their semi-final clash against the Hurricanes.

Taliauli will make just his second appearance in the Brumbies run-on side — of a total of six games — after being named last night as the replacement for suspended winger Henry Speight.

In his first season with the Brumbies after stints with the Gold Coast Titans under 20s and Australian sevens side, it is comfortably the biggest game Taliauli has ever played.

To top it off, the man he’s marking — Hurricanes superstar Julian Savea — is probably the biggest winger the 22-year-old has ever played against as well.

At 108kg and with immense power in contact, Savea is known as “the Bus” because he frequently rolls over the top of tacklers to score tries.

But weighing 101kg, standing 193cm and having also been born in Wellington, Taliauli is from the same dimensional depot as Savea and his shock call-up is a strategic one by Stephen Larkham.

Robbie Coleman would have been the obvious candidate for most other games, but at 83kg he struggled against Nemani Nadolo in their recent loss to the Crusaders.

Taliauli is not only a bigger body, he’s also the fastest player in the Brumbies over 40 metres, and flanker David Pocock backed him to succeed at Westpac Stadium.

“It is one of those things for a young player: what an opportunity,” Pocock told the Daily Telegraph.

“He definitely has the talent. He has come through the sevens program, he has the skills, he’s fast and he’s pretty big.

“It’s a big challenge for him but he’s been backed to start and we will back him 100 per cent out there on the field.”

Lausi'i Taliauli during his stint with the Australian sevens side. Picture: Adam Head

Pocock indicated it would be unwise to see it as a purely defensive selection, however.

“I am really looking forward to seeing him hopefully get a bit ball with some space in front in him,” he said.

“That’s where you want to see wingers, in a bit of space and in full flight. We’ll see how he goes.”

Taliauli arrived at the Brumbies late last year after returning to rugby from a league stint. He’d played for the Australian sevens team in two tournaments but problems with his Australian naturalisation saw Taliauli unable to play in the world series this year.

He turned out for the Canberra Vikings in the NRC, and his rising star saw him quickly signed up by Larkham.

​”​One of my biggest regrets was allowing Lausi to play NRC last year. Well, it wasn’t a regret but I certainly have a huge regard for him,” John said last night. ​

“He is a phenomenal athlete, he’s tall, he’s big, he’s like a modern day winger: big and fast.

“He’s not small Lausi, so he has not only trained well by all reports but he has that physical presence and he will potentially have to be really aggressive in that area against the Hurricanes.

“I am really pleased for him. He is a good kid and I think he will only get better.”

Originally published as Hurricanes v Brumbies: rookie winger Lausi Taliauli to tackle All Black giant Julian Savea