Forget his physique, Justin Tipuric must be considered Springbok enemy No.1
Justin Tipuric doesn’t do self-promotion.
The most outlandish part of his persona is his bright blue scrum cap, which conversely, is a reminder to stay true to his Swansea Valley roots. Social media? It’s not for him. He’s more likely to be found coaching youngsters at home in Trebanos. You see Tipuric is a throwback. A kid who just wants to play rugby and the result is a profile lower than a Russian sub.
His grandfather Dragotin was Croatian and was released by the Germans during the Second World War. He headed for Wales, where his prodigious size meant he pitched up at the local rugby club, Trebanos as an escape from the long hours working down the pit. The Tipurics have barely left the club since.
As a kid, certain characteristics appealed to him as a rugby player. He looked up to Richard Hill because of the unseen dirty work he did and his commitment to putting the team before personal acclaim.
In his late teens he was a Welsh wunderkind who broke age-grade try-scoring records while packing down as a blindside for Wales, sporting a mullet and chubbier jowls which gave away a predilection for cakes that had to be curtailed when rugby became a serious vocation.
Physically, he’s no Popeye. He would struggle to shift the sorts of tin his backrow counterparts and gym-rats Josh Navidi and Aaron Wainwright do but his lightweight frame has its benefits. He is easy to flip up, like a circus acrobat, when taking front and back lineout ball and he covers the turf economically, at 400m runner pace, unless he’s in pursuit of a kick-chase as we saw against Georgia. He doesn’t have the heft to put in the leg-driving ‘hits’ so beloved of YouTube – so don’t expect him to knock Duane Vermeulen and Pieter Steph-du-Toit back on their rumps this weekend, but do expect him to pilfer the ball if they give him even a millimetre of space to work with.
Some great head to heads this weekend. #RugbyWorldCup #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/bOntt0oZIE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 23, 2019
Truth is, you’ll struggle to find a savvier player at this World Cup.
When Dan Biggar was gurning in ecstasy like the Wolf of Wall Street’s Jordan Belfort seconds after booting the ball into the stands at the end of a pulsating quarter-final win over France, Tipuric was, typically, at the bottom of the ruck, with his face in the turf tasting Japanese dirt. Ground level is where he’s happiest and being lofted high onto a pedestal isn’t his bag.
. @EnglandRugby have three non-negotiables if they are to beat the All Blacks on Saturday
– writes @alexshawsport ??? #rwc https://t.co/4kv2QCDbHE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 23, 2019
‘Tips’ as he’ universally known has been superlative in this year’s tournament. Against Georgia, he showed his nose for the try-line by showing and going from close range to power over. Against Australia, his leadership, nous to slow up ball, and work with Alun Wyn Jones to hold up big Wallaby ball-carriers, was integral to the rear-guard action. When Wales needed secure ball at the lineout with two minutes to go, Tipuric was the one propelled skywards.
With Biggar’s fitness was a concern, after two successive head injuries, there were semi-serious calls for Tipuric to be cover at No 10 against Uruguay, such is his plethora of gifts. He’s highly regarded by his contemporaries. When this writer asked the tough-tackling England lock Courtney Lawes who was the most skilful player he’d played alongside as a Lion, Tipuric was the first name he mentioned. His long-time adversary for Welsh No 7 shirt, Warburton, magnanimously put him in the top five flankers he’d ever played alongside or with and earlier this month Lawrence Dallaglio, who knows a thing or two about backrow play was fulsome in his praise of the Osprey.
Makes you wonder what Vahaamahina was thinking ? #RWC2019 #WalesRugby pic.twitter.com/rQuRcsSKwg
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 23, 2019
While Tipuric has never been a power merchant his tackle completion is comfortably in the high nineties. After one-to-one work with club defence coach, Brad Davis, in the 2016-17 season, he made 346 tackles and missed seven for a 98 per cent success rate – that’s Jonny Gray territory. Rare is it for a player to have such rounded attacking and defensive skills.
With 70 caps, and stints as Ospreys skipper, he’s added leadership to his skillset and captained Wales against Uruguay for the first time – a nod to the esteem with which he is held and shows how highly he is valued by not only the management but also to his peers. On the field, he has been a beacon of excellence. The no-look pass down the tramlines early on to Josh Adams was sublime and against France, he showed his jackalling skills with a critical turnover after three minutes when Wales were under the cosh by hauling down French No 8 Charles Ollivon with a perfectly executed wrap tackle, springing to his feet, getting over the ball and driving through the gate to drive Antoine Dupont backwards and win possession. It was all done in perpetual motion and textbook Tipuric.
James Haskell has revealed an explosive exchange with Brodie Retallick, moments after New Zealand beat England in the first match of their 2014 test series ?https://t.co/hXPawXIZB6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 23, 2019
He went through the card for the remainder of the game.
After 26 minutes, his eye for a gap saw him bisecting Romain N’Tamack and Jefferson Poirot making precious yards and seconds after the break, his spin pass from the ruck to Hadleigh Parkes would have done Trebanos legend Robert Jones proud. On 60 minutes, he whipped a 20m pass off his left hand in open play to Aaron Wainwright who stepped Yoann Huget on the right flank, making headway. A watching Jonathan Davies would have nodded away sagely at Tipuric’s passing range.
As Les Bleus held on, he didn’t let up. His pickup, spin and pass to Parkes on 67 minutes was another example of how his rugby brain moves at warp speed. On 73 minutes, when Antoine Dupont was dispossessed with ferocious strip from Tomos Williams, before the French could blurt ‘Sacre bleu’, he was hurtling towards the try-line only to be held up by inches, yet he still had the presence of mind in a high-pressure situation to recycle and that led to Ross Moriarty’s defining score.
Wales' Ross Moriarty relives the moment in the quarter-final versus France when he feared being red-carded https://t.co/MYDMDk4Q2y
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 22, 2019
The Springboks will have Siya Kolisi pegged down to deal with the Trebanos Terror and he will need to stretch every sinew and shred of grey matter to outwit and outfox his Welsh counterpart at the breakdown, in the tramlines or hanging onto his coat-tails after a kick-chase. He will need his three Shredded Wheat.
Sporadically Tips is reluctantly drawn from the shadows he prefers to patrol but there’s no doubt Tipuric is vying for Wales’ player of the tournament and Sunday could prove a defining moment in his career. The day of the jackal. Don’t bet against it.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets 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?
10 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.
10 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 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 commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments