Joe Schmidt isn’t giving up on Taniela Tupou just yet. Despite injuries, patchy Super Rugby form, and lucrative offers from Europe, the Wallabies coach believes the tighthead prop still has a vital role to play, especially with the British and Irish Lions looming in 2025.
Tupou is off contract at the end of the season, and French club Pau is among those reportedly circling.
But Schmidt, who will hand over the Wallabies job to Les Kiss in 2026, remains hopeful the 28-year-old can rediscover his form in time to lead Australia’s charge against the touring Lions.
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‘He is an immensely powerful man’
“I'd love for Taniela to get the best out of himself in the very near future because he is an immensely powerful man,” Schmidt said during a media briefing at a rain-soaked Allianz Stadium.
“He's got good Test match experience. We don't have massive Test match experience. In fact, if James Slipper doesn’t get picked, we lose a quarter of our caps in one man.
“So when you compare what we're going to be playing against with the Lions… it’d be great for him to be at the peak of his powers.”
Tupou, who has 58 Test caps, was recently rested from the Waratahs’ clash with the Drua and had earlier been benched by coach Dan McKellar. McKellar hinted at ongoing challenges despite Tupou’s improved fitness: “He knows what I want and I won’t delve into detail around those conversations… Certain things just aren’t clicking.”
Schmidt credited McKellar and strength and conditioning coach Tom Carter for working to help Tupou find his best. “They've done a great job in trying to get Taniela closer to where he needs to be—the best version of himself on the field.”
Peter Horne, Rugby Australia's high-performance boss, echoed the sentiment and said he’d “dearly” love to see Tupou stay in Australia. “We can afford what we can afford,” Horne said. “And Taniela’s important to us, but we want to see the best from him over the next couple of weeks and months into Super Rugby.”