Tupou confirms move as Waratahs show Wallabies the way

Melissa Woods and Darren Walton | July 6, 2025

Confirming he’s played his last game in a NSW Waratahs jersey, Taniela Tupou isn’t sure about his Wallabies future with the giant prop struggling to make a case for inclusion in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions.

While NSW coach Dan McKellar believes he provided a blueprint for Australian success in the series opener in Brisbane on July 19, Tupou didn’t have the impact he hoped for in the Waratahs’ 21-10 loss to the tourists in Sydney. 

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt’s chief demand was to see the 29-year-old tighthead be “really strong at set piece” but that was Tupou’s weakness at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, giving away four penalties.

Tupou at least put his hand up for some big carries, at times skittling the Lions defence as the undermanned Waratahs made their sloppy rivals work for their win.

He confirmed post match that he will move to France to play for Racing 92 but hoped to again pull on the Wallabies jersey before his shift.

“I hope so. I know what Taniela can do, the challenge is can I get out there and do it for Australia,” said a frustrated Tupou.

“I’m not in the team at the moment so I’m not sure what the goal is for the next few weeks. If I’m in, I’m in. If I’m not, I’ll be on the side and supporting the boys.”

Tupou said he wanted to stay in Australia but understood that, after a below-par season, Rugby Australia wouldn’t match the money on offer.

“As much as I wanted to stay in Australia, Rugby Australia is going to do what they’re going to do. I’m at peace with it,” Tupou said.

“I understand what they’re doing. It’s like if I’m paying you to work for me and you’re not working for me, why am I keeping you?

“And that’s exactly what happened to me …  I wasn’t performing.”

McKellar felt Tupou was under a lot of scrutiny and was unlucky with some of the scrum penalties, and believed he would still be in consideration for the Wallabies squad, which will be named next Friday.

After the Western Force and Queensland both suffered heavy losses to the Lions, McKellar said the fighting Waratahs showed how to rattle their rivals.

The Lions dominated possession, territory, line-breaks and visits in the opposition quarter but the Waratahs line-speed and physicality suffocated their attack, forcing them into repeat errors.

“We spoke about putting them under pressure and terrorising them with our press defence because we felt they hadn’t faced that in the early games,” McKellar said.

“They’re an outstanding team, a really strong group but they’ve got two arms and two legs, and if we take away their time and space and if we back that up with accuracy with our physicality, then we can create turnover opportunity off the back of it and we did that.”