Saturday\u2019s Top 14 debut by Wallabies tighthead Taniela Tupou was branded a success by Racing 92 coach Patrice Collazo \u2013 except for one painful aspect.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old was a November 22 starter for Australia against France at the Stade de France<\/a>, but there was a five-week wait before he made his Top 14 debut.<\/p>\n The front-rower went on to score two tries in Racing\u2019s 61-16 demolition of struggling Montauban, an impressive return given that he scored just once for the Waratahs<\/a> in 13 Super Rugby Pacific appearances in 2025.<\/p>\n However, his debut came with the warning of an adjustment that he would need to get used to \u2013 the type of pitch that the Parisian club has at the La D\u00e9fense Arena.<\/p>\n \u201cA player with exceptional qualities\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking after the so-called Tongan Thor excited home fans with his display as a 46th-minute second-half replacement, Collozo said: \u201cIt was his first time playing on artificial turf, he will have to adapt because his back sometimes suffered. But he was very lively. He is a player with exceptional qualities who, like Ben Tameifuna or Uini Atonio<\/a>, loves and demands the ball.<\/p>\n It\u2019s up to us to put him in the best possible conditions, but we will take it step by step so he can adapt to the demands of the Top 14.\u201d It was December 16 when Tupou<\/a> first trained with Racing following a break after a long stint involved with the Wallabies that saw him start nine matches following his return to fitness for the third and final British and Irish Lions Test in August<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Genius\u2019 Antoine Dupont gives verdict on his one-month-old Toulouse comeback that left Ronan O\u2019Gara ruing \u2018unforgivable\u2019 La Rochelle hammering<\/a><\/p>\n
Tupou\u2019s cameo as a sub against a relegation-threatened team was a gentle introduction for the Australian front-rower to the French league, given that his new club\u2019s next assignment is a trip next Saturday night to the title-challenging Bordeaux.<\/p>\n