Sione Tuipulotu on 'not deserving' a Wallabies jersey as stars align for Melbourne return

Sione Tuipulotu didn’t think he deserved to be a Wallaby when he left Melbourne six years ago but that hasn’t stopped the British and Irish Lions star carrying a chip on his shoulder.

So the Scottish captain, Lions centre and try-scorer on his historic night in Brisbane’s 27-19 win on Saturday can appreciate the theatre ahead of his Victorian return this week.

The fringe Melbourne Rebels talent, now the first Australian to play for the Lions in a Test for 115 years, can help clinch a series in his hometown.

Foote on what he expects from New Zealand

Foote on what he expects from New Zealand

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“It is kind of crazy,” the 28-year-old said of the full-circle moment.

“To go back to Melbourne this week and hopefully play in front of my family … the stars have aligned for me.”

The Australian under-20s representative managed just a handful of games at the Rebels before an off-season move to Japan led to a new deal with Glasgow Warriors.

Something clicked and, qualifying through his Scottish grandmother, he made his Test debut in 2021.

Younger brother Mosese, a flag bearer at the Melbourne Test 12 years ago, shifted from the NSW Waratahs to Edinburgh and has since played for Scotland A.

Also at the Waratahs, 21-year-old hooker Ottavio has represented Australia at a junior level and is on both Test nations’ radars.

“If you asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I’d say it is personal and I think there is still a chip on my shoulder,” Tuipulotu said.

“That is what has got me to this point, having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all.

“I always say that I wasn’t good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne.

“It wasn’t a selector problem. I wasn’t good enough.

“I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they made me the player I am today and now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series.”

Tuipulotu won his much-hyped battle with Australian opposite Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, scoring the first try thanks to a delightful, long cut-out pass from Scottish flyhalf and Lions roommate Finn Russell.

“Being around him made me not overreact to the occasion,” he said of their connection.

“It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together … he threw a pretty similar pass a couple of years back against England.

“When he was throwing it I thought about that.”

The Lions led 1-0 after Brisbane wins in their last two tours, winning 2-1 on their last visit and losing 2-1 in 2001 after both went to deciders.

“All the attention is going to shift to how we can play better in this next game,” Tuipulotu said.

The Wallabies won the second half and the Lions only managed three points after their third try in the 42nd minute to breath life into a series that, early in the first half, looked ominously one-sided.

“We left a lot of points out there in the first half and the game should have been done in 30 or 40 minutes.

“I am sure (the Wallabies’ fightback) will give them a lot of belief.”

Rob Valetini and Will Skelton will both be available after calf niggles kept them sidelined in Brisbane, while the likes of hooker Billy Pollard and scrumhalf Tate McDermott shone when injected off the bench.

“I grew up with Rob Valenti and I know what he brings to the team, and guys like Will Skelton,” the Scot said.

“The good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance and we still have a lot to work on.

“We expect them to be desperate, but no more desperate than us because we are trying to close out a series.”