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Wallabies hookers keeping it in the family

By Online Editors
Wallabies hooker Folau Fainga'a. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images)

Missing out on a Rugby World Cup start against Fiji will sting for most players in the Wallabies squad but there is a comfort blanket for hookers Tolu Latu and Folau Fainga’a.

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The pair are second cousins and share a supportive bond that would be rare for any players battling for the same position in Test rugby.

Both are likely to be in the 23 for Saturday’s pool opener at Sapporo.

Fainga’a insists he won’t be put out if his older relative wins the No.2 jersey, as he is favoured to do.

“Starting, not starting, on the bench, whoever’s got that jersey on, it’s just do your best for the team,” he told journalists at the Wallabies training base in Odawara.

“There’s no ‘if I see you, I’m going to smash you’. It’s just to get the team ready for the weekend and to keep each other accountable and push each other to be better.”

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Latu’s mother and Fainga’a’s father are cousins and watched on when their children played together at junior level in Sydney.

Even though Fainga’a has moved to Canberra, the wider families remain close and are never short on advice.

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“Everyone’s overwhelmed. To get to do it next to my own blood cousin is pretty exciting. We’re into each other at training all the time, giving each other s..t, just to drive each us to be better.

“His mum and his family, we always get told not to be with each other because we always get up to no good.”

It is the first World Cup for both hookers, who are favoured to be selected over a third tournament rookie, Jordan Uelese.

Latu was an earlier developer, already into his second season at the Waratahs when the last World Cup was played.

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Fainga’a was at a crossroads in 2015, having finished with the Australia junior team as a back rower and taken up some labouring jobs because of uncertainty over his rugby future.

That changed when he joined the Brumbies and shifted to hooker.

He was star for the Australian Conference winners this year, scoring 12 tries, mostly from lineout drives.

It was a contrast for Latu, who made sporadic Super Rugby appearances in 2019 because of two suspensions – the second following a drink driving charge.

Since arriving in Odawara, the pair have tapped the World Cup experience of props James Slipper, Sekope Kepu and Scott Sio, who have have tallied five tournament campaigns between them.

– AAP

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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