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Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Sione Tuipulotu opens up on Australia rejection, debt to Scottish rugby and rooming with Finn Russell
Glasgow centre fuelled by 'chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sione Tuipulotu returns to Melbourne carrying the chip on his shoulder that has driven his rise to becoming a British and Irish Lion. Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. Sione Tuipulotu celebrates after scoring the first try for British and Irish Lions in the first Test win over Australia at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. (Photo by) The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' Scotland trio (from left) Huw Jones, Finn Russell and Sione Tuipulotu celebrate after the British & Irish Lions victory over Australia in the first Test match of the series. (Photo by) Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any 10 in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Sione Tuipulotu opens up on Australia rejection, debt to Scottish rugby and rooming with Finn Russell
Glasgow centre fuelled by 'chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sione Tuipulotu returns to Melbourne carrying the chip on his shoulder that has driven his rise to becoming a British and Irish Lion. Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. Sione Tuipulotu celebrates after scoring the first try for British and Irish Lions in the first Test win over Australia at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. (Photo by) The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' Scotland trio (from left) Huw Jones, Finn Russell and Sione Tuipulotu celebrate after the British & Irish Lions victory over Australia in the first Test match of the series. (Photo by) Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any 10 in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard.
Wales Online
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales' big new rugby hope being mentored by England and Lions star
Wales' big new rugby hope being mentored by England and Lions star Sam Scott has been taken under the wing of an England international Wales U20s tighthead prop Sam Scott (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency ) Big things are expected of Wales U20 tighthead Sam Scott in the coming seasons, but the rising Welsh prop is receiving invaluable guidance from an unlikely mentor — England international Ellis Genge. The two are team-mates at Bristol Bears, with loosehead Genge having taken Scott under his wing at Ashton Gate. This summer the sometimes outspoken Genge will be packing down for the British & Irish Lions in Australia, while Scott will be the cornerstone of Wales U20s' assault on the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy. Genge took to social media platform X earlier this year to describe Scott as a "legend" and went on to say "he's a proper grounded young kid who knows the craic". "He's been class with me and we get on really well," Scott tells WalesOnline. "He's a British & Irish Lion now and having him around has been great. "He's an inspiration of mine and having him around in camp is pretty good. I really appreciate everything he does for me. Article continues below "I have scrummaged against him a couple of times this year and as you can imagine being only 19 and coming up against him is pretty tough. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "But scrummaging against someone like Ellis is the best thing for me. "He will tell me what to do after each scrum. "Compared to my first scrum against Ellis, the last scrum was much better. "I've really grown as a player as a result." Tighthead prop hasn't been a position of strength in Wales over the past few years but there is a lot of expectation pinned on 18st 8lb Scott's young shoulders. Former Wales boss Warren Gatland was a big fan of the Llantwit Fardre product and even considered taking him on the senior tour of Australia last summer. Scott is a powerful scrummager who gets through a ton of work around the park, whether that's through his dynamic carrying or racking up the tackles. The 19-year-old will be a key figure for Wales U20s this summer, as he was in the Six Nations victories over Ireland U20s and England U20s. He is also in the fortunate position to get help from Wales and Lions scrummaging legend Adam Jones - who is currently scrum coach with the senior men's side. "I've had a couple of conversations with Adam, especially after the Harlequins v Bristol game when he came up to me and we had a little chat about the game," he said. "It's nice that they all know who I am and they are keeping an eye on me. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "It's unbelievable. He's somebody I've looked up to for years and it's class that he's looking out for me. "The USP for me is to scrummage and do the bits around the park, whether that's tackling or carrying the ball. "I like to get involved and not be the one who just stands by the breakdown and hits rucks. "When I was younger it was a case of 'pass the ball to Sam and he'll make metres', so I think that's where my ball carrying comes from. "I've always been a big front-rower and I wouldn't change it for any other position." Wales U20s have been drawn in a tough World Cup pool which includes France, Argentina and Spain but Scott is supremely confident Wales will go far in the competition. "Internally we've set ourselves the goal of reaching the top four but in my opinion we can push higher than that," added Scott. "Argentina, Spain and France will be a tough test but I think if all the boys turn up like we did against Ireland and England we will go well. "Beating England in the Six Nations has given us huge confidence because they are last year's world champions so to be able to turn them over was huge for us. "We want to use it as a stepping stone to do well in this competition and that we can go on and win this. "On our day we can beat anyone." Scott has recently signed a new long-term contract to remain at Bristol Bears and has set high targets to reach over the next couple of seasons. "The goal for me next year is to push as far as I can," he tells WalesOnline. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. "I won't be playing with the U20s next year so I want to be playing at the highest level I can, whether that's the Premiership Cup, the Premiership or even pushing to try to get into that senior Wales squad. "I've got big aspirations for the future. I've loved Bristol and I'm happy there. Article continues below "Who knows what will happen in the future but at the moment I see myself at Bristol."
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bath's second-half revival carries them past Bristol and into Premiership final
Bath's oval-ball custodians have spent years trying – and failing – to construct a team to match the striking nature of their home city. Now, finally, they are within 80 minutes of claiming their first domestic league title since 1995-96 after a storming second-half revival put paid to a gallant Bristol side who had led by seven points at half-time. If the outcome was still theoretically up in the air at the interval there was not a shred of doubt by the hour mark, Bath launching a blistering fusillade that yielded four converted tries without reply and underlined their status as short-priced favourites to lift the Premiership trophy at Twickenham next Saturday. 'This team is tough to beat,' said their head coach, Johann van Graan. 'Bristol asked some questions but effort-wise I couldn't be prouder. That is what it takes to get to Twickenham.' Advertisement Related: Bath 34-20 Bristol: Premiership rugby union semi-final – as it happened The final margin was slightly harsh on a Bears team who played a full part in a stonking contest that, once again, ticked pretty much every box from an entertainment perspective. Bristol were thrilling to watch in the first half but never quite managed to build the kind of scoreboard pressure that might have caused a famous upset, eventually disappearing beneath a quartet of third-quarter tries from Ted Hill, Joe Cokanasiga, Will Muir and Max Ojomoh, all converted by a nerveless Finn Russell. The British & Irish Lion did limp off towards the end but Bath's management insisted he was primarily suffering from cramp. Van Graan, though, was more direct regarding some of the pre-match remarks made by Bristol's director of rugby, Pat Lam, who referenced Bath's more expensively assembled squad and advised his wife not to attend because of the probability of her being soaked if she sat out in the famously exposed – not to mention pricey – open stand at the Rec. 'Our team certainly did their talking on the pitch,' retorted Van Graan. 'We certainly got a lot of motivation from Bristol. It was brilliant all the commentary we got from the opposition. We didn't say a word and the scoreboard speaks for itself.' It was always destined to be a passion filled evening on the banks of the River Avon and a fast and furious game matched the febrile atmosphere. Bristol had won 11 of the previous 14 matches between the clubs and it was the Bears who attacked with most relish in perfect dry conditions. Fly-half AJ McGinty slotted the game's first points after Guy Pepper was slightly too enthusiastic at the breakdown and a shaken Bath found themselves 10 points down when a spectacular long-range counterattack launched by Kalaveti Ravouvou and some deft forward interplay ended with the second-row James Dun galloping over by the posts. Advertisement Dun's father, Andy, was once a Bristol stalwart and the whole crackling occasion felt deeply personal, with more than simple bragging rights at stake. It was definitely not helpful to the Bears' cause, then, when Ravouvou was shown a yellow card for trying to stop Bath taking a quick tap and cost his side a further three points in the process. Even with 14 men, though, Bristol kept on coming. Bath's defence were pulled this way and that, the point of attack constantly shifting. Only a desperate rearguard action prevented the Bears from scoring another belting multi-phase try and a botched lineout drill five metres out then allowed Bath to escape again. When Bristol do flick the turbo switch they look irresistible but games of top-level rugby are not definitively settled inside the first 40 minutes, particularly at this venue. Bath's strength in depth has frequently been their trump card this season so it was doubly worrying for the Bears when the effervescent Harry Randall was led away with a damaged shoulder and replaced by Kieran Marmion. A penalty just before the interval from MacGinty, though, extended Bristol's advantage to 13-6 and caused a slight hush to fall around the ground. Losing in the final is one thing but going down at home to Bristol in a massive semi-final? The onus was on Bath's familiar match winners to come up with the antidote to the onrushing grizzly Bears for whom Viliame Mata, Steven Luatua and Benhard Janse van Rensburg were all exerting their usual influence. Advertisement And, sure enough, in the first 19 minutes after the restart four servings of much-needed relief duly materialised. First the visitors messed up the restart, conceded a soft penalty and gave Bath the platform from which to launch a purposeful attack which ended with Hill scoring in the left corner. Russell's wide-angled conversion was a further bonus and there was even better to come, a horrible bounce eluding Ravouvou and allowing Cokanasiga to strike. Now the tide was turning and some tight refereeing calls were also going Bath's way. A pass by Noah Heward was adjudged fractionally forward and, once again, the home side were instantly energised. Muir crashed over in the left corner to extend the lead further and, within five minutes with Bristol again down to 14 players, Ojomoh inflicted further hefty damage. Even when sorely tested this stacked Bath squad, having already topped the regular season table by 11 points, tend to come up with a resounding answer.
The 42
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'I've got enough pain in my life' - James Lowe on not watching the Champions Cup final
WHILE IT was the main attraction in the world of rugby last weekend, Leinster winger James Lowe ultimately opted against watching Saturday's Investec Champions Cup final between Bordeaux-Begles and Northampton Saints at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Despite Lowe crossing the whitewash during a frantic final quarter, Leinster suffered an agonising defeat to Northampton at the penultimate stage of Europe's top-tier in the Aviva Stadium on 3 May. Although a trip to the zoo with his young family last Saturday morning also played its part, the Ireland international acknowledged it was a somewhat conscious choice not to view a Champions Cup decider that didn't feature the eastern province for the first time since 2021. 'I've got enough pain in my life with kids, I don't think I need to force anymore! You can say it's better, but I just didn't want to watch the game. 'It's not that I don't respect the two teams. It just sucks because I wanted to be there. It is what it is. A lot of boys are the same. Some boys could watch it. Some boys watch the replay,' Lowe explained at a Leinster media briefing on Monday. Advertisement 'I didn't know how big the zoo was. We took one pram, we've got two kids. I'm either carrying Nico [his son], or he is face-planting the whole time. That's what I did for the morning, and then in the afternoon, I'm literally entertaining him. 'I knew it was on. I was paying attention to my phone, just watching on the app. Fair play to Bordeaux, congratulations and commiserations to Saints. They have both been exceptional this year. It sucked this year that we weren't there, but that's how it happened.' Since his most recent competitive appearance for Leinster — in a 76-5 demolition of Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship at the Aviva Stadium on 10 May — Lowe fulfilled his first official duties as a British & Irish Lion at an admin day that was held in London last Sunday week. This offered him a taste of what to expect when he jets off next month with the rest of the Lions squad for their eagerly-anticipated Tour of Australia, but for now, the New Zealand-born star is firmly focused on ending the 2024-25 season with Leinster on a high. Although he was quick to point out to the assembled media on Monday that the province has just won the Irish Shield for a fourth year in succession, the past three seasons have seen Leinster missing out on major silverware in both the Investec Champions Cup and the United Rugby Championship. While their latest quest to claim a fifth European star was halted by Northampton, there is still a chance for Leo Cullen's men to secure top honours in the URC during the current term. Three semi-final reversals on the bounce in this competition means Leinster are likely to face a mental challenge as well as a physical one in the coming weeks, but they will have to negotiate their way past Scarlets in a quarter-final at the Aviva this Saturday (kick-off 3pm) before they can think about finally achieving a last-four league victory. Yet their ultimate ambition is to lift the URC crown next month, and Lowe believes this would be a fitting way for departing players such as the Gloucester-bound Ross Byrne and the soon-to-be-retired Cian Healy to end their time with Leinster. 'When I look around the changing room and the people who aren't going to be here next year, the two you obviously think of are Ross Byrne and Cian Healy. Some of the best days of your life are when you win silverware together. For Ireland, we have been able to do that in recent years, but we haven't been able to transfer that with Leinster,' Lowe added. 'It doesn't mean that because you have won with Ireland, you are going to win with Leinster. You still have to come back here and perform on the biggest of days and under the most amount of pressure. That's what we want to do. 'We can't let Cian Healy leave Leinster without another silver medal around his neck again. It's not doing him justice. It's not doing Ross Byrne justice. Those boys watched Leinster at Donnybrook years and years ago. That's hopefully the plan for the next three weeks.'
