Analysis: How the Reds need to use the Tongan Thor
When the 18-year-old Sacred Heart College prop went viral in 2014, it was the sheer fascination of a 130kg front rower tearing a team apart returning kicks that captured everyone’s imagination.
Taniela Tupou was such a unique prospect. He has the speed of an outside back and the power of two loose forwards. However, his first full season of Super Rugby in 2017 didn’t bear much fruit. Understandably, it has taken time for Tupou to develop into a Super Rugby level prop, which has impatient fans writing him off too soon.
Going to the Reds, one of the worst teams in Super Rugby also didn’t help. Last year they did not use him the way he needs to be used. The more situations in which he can wind up amplifies the amount of damage he can cause.
The Reds under Brad Thorn this year have shown a willingness to open up the playbook and find more ways to unleash the power of Thor. Here’s what they have done and how they can unlock Tupou’s potential.
Set-piece
One of the areas where Tupou has been underutilised as a ball-carrying option is the set piece.
As he is tied up with scrummaging duties every time they pack down, the lineout is the only scenario where he can be used in this capacity. Just using him as a lifter like a regular prop misses an opportunity to get the ball in his hands.
The Reds have used a number of 4-man and 5-man lineout packages to allow Tupou to be placed in the back line. Their typical setup is three ball carriers outside 10 for a midfield crash.
Here the Reds have Tupou as the second running option outside 10, and below as the first running option. They run a 1-2 cut as if Tupou was playing inside centre.
The preference for the Reds has been to use the attention Tupou receives to work other players into the game.
A common tactic when Tupou is set as the second option is to run a screen pass behind him to the free Caleb Timu (6) wrapping out the back. This, unfortunately, results in fewer carries for him, and the pass is often delivered too early to be effective for Timu.
In other situations, we see Tupou start wider and become part of the second phase after the crash ball. Below, Kerevi (12) takes the hit-up.
Tupou often goes unused as a decoy or simply not the preferred carrier on the second phase. On this occasion above he ends up cleaning for Timu (6).
The Reds have started to show more intent by involving Tupou off the lineout but prefer to use him as a decoy. The majority of lineout plays for the Reds set a midfield ruck, with either one of the forward carriers or Kerevi. There has been no desire to use Tupou wider directly off the lineout or find more complex ways to create space for him.
The team seems committed to one-dimensional crash plays to reset pattern or look to run little switch plays from. This is an area of the game that the Reds will hopefully continue to open up and look to integrate Tupou to maximise his ball-carrying opportunities.
Phase Play
Thorn’s 1-3-3-1 system is not a well-tuned machine yet. A number of the young and experienced forwards find themselves over-committing to rucks leaving the team short after a few phases. The pattern falls apart fairly quickly, stalling the Reds attack.
Here there are at least four Reds players at the ruck with no Brumbies contesting. The Reds first phase looks fine but the setup for the next is shaky. Tupou the edge forward will have to move in. This is a common occurrence when reviewing Reds phase play.
When they do fall into the pattern, Tupou finds himself often looking for a tip pass running off the lead runner, which tends to be withheld by the ball carrier.
Edge havoc
The flashes of ‘Thor’ we have seen from Tupou this season is when the Reds get the pattern right and he is afforded space on the edge as the one forward positioned out there.
He has been damaging down the tramlines often committing multiple defenders and freeing up his outside support.
The full Thor experience
For Tupou to become the attacking superpower he could be the Reds have to generate decent ball to him on the flanks, maximise and his lineout carries and consider one crazy (good kinda crazy) option – releasing Tupou on counter-attack.
It’s where he has made such an impact at all levels or rugby so far but has yet to be seen in Super Rugby. A number of teams sometimes use their Number 8 in some capacity in this role, so it’s not so farfetched to put Tupou in these situations.
Holding Tupou back in situations where the opposition is in exit mode and using quick lineouts to release him will put fear in the hearts of every winger on kick coverage duties. Tupou averages the second most tackle breaks of any prop, third most line breaks, but only carries five times a game (10th for all props).
If they can increase that to 10-12 carries a game (in the right situations) they will have the most damaging forward in Super Rugby.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments