Taniela Tupou says best to come for Wallabies at World Cup

Taniela Tupou says his best is still to come after starring in Australia's RWC win over Georgia. Photo: AP
Prop Taniela Tupou has vowed his best is yet to come after a rousing performance to help the Wallabies open their Rugby World Cup campaign with a win.
Tupou was the standout forward in Australiaās 35-15 win over Georgia which ended its five-game losing streak and gave Wallabies fans some hope of the team going deep at the France tournament.
Touted by coach Eddie Jones as the future No.1 prop in the world, Tupou showed off his array of skills.
He dominated the strong Georgian scrum and demonstrated the incredible athleticism for which heās renowned despite his 135-kilogram frame.
Tupou was gifted a loose Georgian pass and took off downfield at Stade de France before throwing a long ball for fullback Ben Donaldson to score.
Tweet from @wallabies
āI thought I had it,ā Tupou said.
āI was hoping I was 10 metres ahead and I think if I dummied and kept going I would have had it.
āI am just as happy that I set up someone else. I was hoping he scored because I was tired.ā
The 27-year-old said he and the entire Wallabies outfit could take their game to another level when they faced Fiji in their next pool match in Saint-Etienne on Monday (AEST).
āMy body is 100 per cent, my lungs are not,ā Tupou said.
āI feel good. A few more games and the body will adjust. Itās so hot out there, man.
āTo be honest, I came into this game very nervous. I thought we did well against France last week and the expectation was to do well against Georgia.
āEverybody wants to win but with the young team we have, we are trying to put together a winning combination while the players are getting used to each other.ā
Asked about his coachās belief that he could be the worldās best, Tupou said he initially wasnāt even sure Jones would want him at the World Cup.
He ruptured his achilles playing Ireland last year and was in a race against time to make the tournament.
āI donāt know how to take those compliments, to be honest,ā Tupou said.
āIāll just keep my head down and keep working hard, and hopefully, Iāll end up there one day. Thereās so many in front of me.
āI didnāt know anything about Eddie and I was real nervous, scared ā I donāt know what heās like and whether I was his type of player.
āAll I had to do was keep working hard and hopefully come back in and earn my spot in the team. I was lucky he saw something in me.ā
-AAP








