As Geoff Parling moved to allay fears next year’s British and Irish Lions series will be a whitewash, the former England international turned Wallabies assistant admits his coaching group is still finding out what makes Taniela Tupou tick. In many ways, Tupou’s struggles are synonymous with where Australian rugby currently sits. The 27-year-old has long promised to be one of the most damaging tight-head props in the world, but his brief cameos match the ‘40-minute Wallabies’ the national side has become.
Tupou put his hand up after 35 minutes in Santa Fe and called to be replaced. His early departure raised eyebrows, particularly given he’s the Wallabies’ most expensive player. At the time, the Wallabies led 20-10 under the hot South American sun.
Minutes later, with Tupou off the field, the Wallabies conceded another try to take a narrow 20-17 lead into half-time. Another seven tries followed in the second-half, with Joe Schmidt’s men failing to turn around the momentum Los Pumas got in the final minutes of the first-half. Compare Tupou’s effort to that of Tyrel Lomax’s 73-minute performance hours earlier, or Frans Malherbe’s 52 minutes in the same game, and it’s clear the Wallabies aren’t getting bang for their buck.
Taniela Tupou lasted less than 40 minutes against Los Pumas at Brigadier General Estanislao Lopez Stadium on September 7, 2024 in Santa Fe. (Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images) Nor was Tupou’s surprisingly early departure a one-off, wit.