Tolu Latu urged to make powerful comeback for Waratahs after returning from the wilderness

A thousand line-out throws a week has re-opened a door for Tolu Latu. And now he has been challenged to “run through it” — and over some Kiwis — when he returns for the Waratahs at Allianz.

A thousand line-out throws a week has re-opened a door for Tolu Latu.

And now he has been challenged to “run through it” — and over the top of a few Kiwis — when he returns for the Waratahs on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.

After just 27 minutes action this season, Latu has been recalled to the Tahs’ bench for the vital clash against the Highlanders.

It will be only his second game for NSW this year, following a bland cameo from the bench for the Waratahs in their loss to the Jaguares in Argentina in round three.

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With no Tatafu Polota-Nau on deck for the Wallabies’ Test series, Test coach Michael Cheika is one of many keen to see how Latu performs on his return. The 25-year-old was long seen as an heir apparent to TPN, and has played four Tests and 45 Super Rugby games — including the 2014 Super Rugby final.

His mobility, scrummaging and on-ball potency was a strong mix.

Waratahs hooker Tolu Latu is back for the clash with the Highlanders.

This year, however, Latu fell behind the hard-working Eastwood duo of Damian Fiztpatrick and Hugh Roach at the Waratahs and a big part of it was exactly that — he was getting out-worked by his positional rivals.

Now, however, with Latu having knuckled down and proven himself to coaches with several months of intense work and some impressive club rugby form, the nuggety hooker is back.

“I expect this of Tolu and our players — when the door opens, he runs through it. He doesn’t walk,” NSW forwards coach Simon Cron said.

“That is our expectation. And therefore, all the preparation work that he has done should put him in the best position to run through. There is not another option for him, because you have two other excellent hookers that are there who’ll keep the jersey otherwise.”

Latu’s improved work ethic can be seen in the fact he has been nailing up to 200 practice lineout throws a day during a NSW training week.

As part of skillset extras done by all “coffee groups” at the NSW — halfbacks, back three, locks etc — Cron set all the hookers the task of doing between 150-200 throws a day. While Fitzpatrick and Roach did the work, Latu “wasn’t as consistent”.

Tolu Latu has a chance to force his way back into Wallabies reckoning.

“So as a result of that he had to step up his work, and he’s been doing what’s required now for a good period,” Cron said.

“You can see in his Sydney University games, and you can see it in his consistency of throw, that he’s starting to be more consistent in that area.

“In four or five 80 minute games he’s played for Uni, there a whole lot of things around him now that he should be in a much better position to have his best chance to perform.”

With a smaller pack than most, the Waratahs identified work-ethic and fitness as a required strength for success this season; underpinned by constant skill development.

All those things will be non-negotiables against the Highlanders, said Cron. The Dunedin-based team are regarded having the most industrious, no-frills forward pack in Super Rugby.

“They are a hardworking, strong unit,” Cron said.

“Similar to what we played last week. Maybe not as many big names as the Crusaders but that’s good, our boys have the same attitude to their work.

“It’s a workhorse game. They will work their asses off and we have to beat them in that area. We have to get up faster, get off the line faster. We have to learn from our losses over the last two weeks and improve.

It’s pretty clear what we did wrong and we have to fix those to be title contenders. It’s a no-brainer.”

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Originally published as Tolu Latu urged to make powerful comeback for Waratahs after returning from the wilderness