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The 'phenomenon' who is about the break Keith Wood's front row try scoring record and his incredible strike rate
Ireland legend Keith Wood is preparing for trying scoring “phenomenon” Joe Taufete’e, the USA Eagles hooker, to write him out of the rugby history books.
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Taufete’e faces Romania in Bucharest on Saturday, needing just two more tries to join Wood, the former Ireland and Lions star, as the highest scoring front row forward in world rugby history. While Wood took 63 tests in Irish and Lions colours over nine years to amass 15 tries, Taufete’e has already collected 13 tries in just 17 appearances for the USA Eagles – an incredible success rate.
Taufete’e, the 26-year-old Worcester Warriors hooker, helped the Eagles to their first-ever win over Samoa in San Sebastian in Spain last Saturday when Will Hooley’s long range penalty gave them a 30-29 victory and has retained his place against Romania to win his 18th cap. Taufete’e scored his 13th international try against Samoa and if he can grab at try in Bucharest, the final test of the Eagles’ Autumn series will take Taufete’e to Dublin to face Ireland where he could equal the record on Wood’s home turf on November 24.
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Wood said: “I never thought my try scoring record would last this long and that has been a real surprise to me. Joe is a phenomenon and to have scored that many tries in such a short time is remarkable and I am not going to be in the records for much longer. I won’t be able to be at the Aviva Stadium for the USA game but I will make sure I am watching and I hope he does get to 15 then or even breaks the record. The role of the hooker has changed over the years and to take on all the responsibilities of the position and also be such a regular try scorer really is impressive.”
The strongly built 19st hooker only made his international debut three years ago against South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup having first picked up a rugby ball for the Belmont Shore RFC U19 team. He spent a year in New Zealand prior to the 2015 World Cup with Otorohanga RFC in Waikato, before earning a professional contract at USA PRO Rugby’s San Diego Breakers. Then came the offer to move to the Premiership with Worcester where his ball carrying has made him a fan’s favourite.
The USA Eagles, who are coached by former Warriors Head Coach Gary Gold, are in the same pool as England at next year’s World Cup in Japan and are currently operating without the injured AJ McGinty the Sale outside half. Gold was delighted with the win over Samoa and said: “There is no doubt the Samoans gave us a good fight in every minute of our test last week. While we are happy to have achieved the result we did, we know there are many factors of our performance that must be tightened up against Romania. The Romanian crowd will be incredibly vocal for their home side and that in and of itself will present an added factor for us to overcome this Saturday.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Are the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
2 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
2 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to comments