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Wallabies enforcer Taniela Tupou in doubt for Fiji clash
The Wallabies’ front row stocks to face Fiji have taken a hit with key strike weapon Taniela Tupou under an injury cloud ahead of their crucial Rugby World Cup pool match in Saint-Etienne.
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Tight-head Tupou was one of Australia’s best in their tournament-opening win in Paris but didn’t train with the team on Wednesday due to a hamstring complaint.
The Wallabies already have props James Slipper and Pone Fa’amausili in doubt with the pair missing the 35-15 victory over Georgia.
Slipper has been sidelined with a foot issue and was in and out of their session, seen in the early stages doing some boxing drills.
With Fiji losing their opening pool match against Wales, Australia are almost guaranteed a quarter-final berth with a victory on Sunday (Monday AEST) so need all guns firing.
Assistant coach Jason Ryles said Tupou hadn’t been ruled out just yet.
The 27-year-old was key to Australia’s dominance in the scrum against the Georgians while he also set up a second-half try, racing down-field before throwing a looping pass for Ben Donaldson to score.
“Taniela is on the sideline at the moment, he has got a bit of a hamstring complaint but we’re just going to monitor him and just see how he goes over the next couple of days,” Ryles said.
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“He didn’t train today but that’s not unusual for Taniela, don’t worry.”
With 131 caps, Slipper is by far the most experienced player in the Wallabies camp, lining up for his fourth World Cup.
The 34-year-old loosehead was wearing a moon boot in France as he tried to overcome a tendon injury in his foot while tighthead Fa’amausili has been battling a calf issue.
“Slips (Slipper) has been managed at this stage,” said Ryles.
“I think he’s certainly in the picture but we’re not exactly sure how that’s going to pan out, whether it’s this week or next week.
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“Himself and Pone have been doing a lot of stuff off-field and then dropping into training at different stages with what their injuries allow them to and what the medical team allow them.”
With Australia taking on fellow big guns Wales in their third game, which could decide who tops the pool, coach Eddie Jones wants to get game time into Slipper against Fiji but can’t afford to carry him on the bench if he’s not 100 per cent.
Ryles said they weren’t looking ahead to Wales, aware of the massive challenge posed by Fiji, who shocked England in their World Cup warm-up match.
“It’s very cliched but all we’ve got on our minds is this week and how best we can prepare for that,” the former Melbourne and Sydney Roosters NRL assistant coach said.
“We want to get our next couple of days right and play the best we can and we believe if we play near our best, then we’re going to be hard to beat.”
Jones is weighing up whether to again pick Ben Donaldson at fullback or return to Andrew Kellaway when he names the team at 5.30pm Friday (AEST).
Looking to take the pressure off goal-kicker Carter Gordon, Donaldson got the nod against Georgia and booted six from seven but Kellaway is seen as a better defender which is key against the rampant Fijians.
Gordon was seen doing extra goal-kicking practice at the end of the training session so could be in line to take over the duties again.
Jones also needs to decide whether to start veteran halfback Nic White or rookie Issak Fines-Leleiwasa with first-choice Tate McDermott sidelined after a head knock.
Comments on RugbyPass
The game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
37 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
97 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
8 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
2 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
2 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to commentsAs you say in your article Brett, the point was Hamish and his vanity - plain and simple. The crazy bit is that sua’ali’i has to be probably twice the player of mark N, no easy feat, just for RA to get their money's worth!?! And as you say, tahs aren't short of wingers, props on the other hand id like to see $1.6m spent on. I still shake my head at the absolute carry on in the media and comments section around the boon of getting sua’ali’i and the revenue it'd generate. It was all such hogwash imo and short sighted, real sugar hit stuff. And wasnt Waugh (and others) on the board at the time this money was spent? You say silver bullet, I'd say sugar hit but without the flavour.
8 Go to commentsNZR should play hard all a bit with some of these players and make them sign up to the next world cup. If they won’t, offer it to someone who will. Because what happens is the NH (especially France) swoop on a bunch of nz players coming off contract, weakening their depth, and nz scrambles less than 2 years out trying to get replacements up to speed.
1 Go to commentsNo thanks. Savea almost always leaves easy points out there and goes for the corner, no matter how many times it’s not working. He claimed he took “the learnings” from this when he kept making the same mistake against the Boks a few years ago. Then went out the very next week and did the same thing and SA snatched victory because of it. Years later he still does it, right up to and including the world cup final. Great player, not so great rugby nous.
10 Go to commentsIt certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
63 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
63 Go to commentsanybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
4 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
63 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
10 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
10 Go to commentsExtremely frustrating to get yet more speculation over whether or not Eben actually counted 12 players or not, but honestly big respect to McCloskey for keeping it classy and not pointing out Etzebeth’s hypocrisy. The Irish are a popular team outside of Ireland because they do their talking on the pitch, and its honestly a PR masterclass that they’re keeping it that way following Etzebeth’s provocation.
63 Go to comments