Is the 'Tongan Thor' truly ready for Test rugby?

Hilarious column and even more hilarious comments. Thor needs to lose weight to play Test rugby. I can't believe that there are comparisons between SR (where Reds are constantly beaten with 20 plus points by NZ teams and even the Sunwolves) and Test Rugby (meeting the likes of Eben and co) in terms of the stamina needed. Guy was clever to leave NZ so that he could get a WBs Test jersey. Unless WBs change coaches he'll soon be middling and will get a contract in Europe.

"You may be on to something Oskar!" And rumour had it... Jonah had a penchant for Maccas , and Julian Savea KFC. consumption of either wouldn't impress any coach. So what's Thors Vice???

Yet he hasn’t looked unfit in Super Rugby. So your comments are inaccurate as always Kirky.

Well noted. It’s also a very different role to what he has played at the Reds.

Perhaps he’s just another one in the long line of champion players who run out of steam as the year progresses in their first full test season. Same thing happens with young AFL and NRL players. Much like stamina on field, stamina across the season is built over time.

Having read some interesting rugby pieces and being reasonably experienced as a player and still involved with club and representative coaching I thought I would join and contribute, thinking we'd be talking rugby sensibly. Reading these opinions and exchanges has reversed that decision. Knock yourselves out chaps.

Taniela Tupou is the guy's name, so why is it he gets this ridiculously stupid name of ''Tongan Thor'' ~ you get nicknames for individuals that in most cases fit the bill, but that "Tongan Thor'' is just plain stupid and I'd imagine he'd think so also! Tupou will never be a top player whether it be in the front row or anywhere else as long as he carries the excess weight he does right now, for a player to operate as he does (in fits and starts) he needs at a glance to lose a lot of weight before he's anywhere near fit so it's no wonder he slacks off in game-time! He was advised in New Zealand to stick around and just bide his time and eventually he'd be conditioned to the standard required of any International player, but he wanted to be in the International team 'yesterday', immediately if not sooner and wasn't prepared to do the yards in New Zealand to fit the bill, ~ so it appears he either decided to try his luck in Aussie' or was head hunted by Australian rugby people! He will never be a top prop as he is now, overweight and unfit because if he had to do the full 80 minutes on the paddock he needs to be fulfilling his duties for the complete game, not do a bit then hang around behind the general play more often than not! Good luck to him!

Yep he woudn't be an AB by now but would be a better more rounded (not physically) player.

On the subject of the moniker: I was mildly surprised to hear Aussie commentators pronunciation of "Thor". I thought the whole point of the nickname was the alliterative sounds linking the 'Tongan' (hard T) with the European 'Thor' (Tor)? Otherwise, what's the point?

There were four scrums after Kepu came on. Three were Australian feeds with solid scrum and clean ball, and the fourth was dominated by Australia but inexplicably Argentina got a penalty. So tell me how Kepu struggled at loosehead, it looked to me like he was enjoying himself.

He is playing the role of an explosive impact player. You can’t judge him on his engine when they tell him to come on in the last 20 and rip in. Normally you might operate at 70% capacity over 80. When you come in with 20 to go with instructions to lift the team you rip in at 90%. A little more experience and he will pick his moments better as an impact player and as a 60 minute player.

I suspect it is also in an effort to get some early ascendancy for the pack. The Sprinboks, despite having a week rest, may tire (very heavy workload against NZ) and / or be focusing on next week against the All Blacks (I hope not). If the Wallabies get ahead on the board quickly - something which has plagued the Boks the entire season, then Tupou may very well be a great aid in achieving that goal. That will also make victory much more likely for the Wallabies due to the aforementioned risk of fatigue and complacency. The Boks have used Kitshoff relatively early so both replacements should face each other fairly fresh rather than the Boks using a fresh prop on a tiring one. I think that is Cheika's plan with this. The Boks will do well to not fall behind too far. The PE croud I have found to be always excellent, but even they may wane if the Boks trail by a significant amount and then we will be in trouble.

Or maybe he should have stayed in NZ and got the right sort of coaching.

Yes is the answer to the question posed in your title. I still reckon that Kepu is a great prop though and hope he gets plenty of time leading into the World Cup

"Tupou gets tired very quickly. In his time coming off the bench as a Wallaby, Tupou has been regularly gassed after 15 minutes, sometimes less." Something we've not seen at Reds level so I'm wondering where this experience has occurred - since he's finished from the bench in all six tests he's played in.

I must confess I do like him off the bench at around the 60 min mark, he is a a very explosive player and his body is still able to do all of that as he is a young man and young for a Prop. Interestingly "the Beast" was the same and used in the same way until he lost his explosiveness. Having an immediate impact from Kickoff is a different proposition for any starting player in any position. We have some good book ends at the moment, some grafters and workers who get through the work but only one impact player in that position. It's an interesting call especially as Keps has been fantastic over the last 6 years, it might be smart to rest him from the end of year tour and start him late for next year aka Carter and McCaw. It will be interesting either way.

Sorry for the typo. The third sentence should say, "This is one of the most physical and technically difficult positions on the paddock......" I would also add that my comments are based on my concern for him and his longer term future as a premium player for the WB's.

Your concerns mirror mine mate. There is no way that he should be expected to have the technique and the stamina to play at this level in anything except a development role. This is the most physical and technically position on the paddock and good front rowers at this level are pretty rare at his age. At the risk of starting a verbal war, the elevation of Thor seems to me to be consistent with the Australian rugby propensity to always be looking for the next "super star". Rugby is a team game and we need to spend less time looking for the one man solution and more time looking for the improvement in the team. I am not saying that Thor won't be a worthy addition to the team in time but for me, unless Cheek has selected him primarily for development purposes (which I support) then it is a mistake expecting too much of him his year.

Yes exactly- he needs a year at Saracens under the same coaching staff who oversaw Skeleton’s weight loss. He is simply too heavy for today’s game.