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Tolu Latu’s underwhelming return home with the Waratahs looks likely to be coming to an end with a European club boss claiming he has accepted an offer in France.
The Wallabies’ 2019 World Cup hooker returned to Australia in a cloud of controversy after being cut loose by Stade Francais at the end of a season where he drew six yellow cards and two reds, including a 10 week ban.
Tahs coach Darren Coleman took a shot on Latu but it has been a mis-fire with him struggling for game time behind Dave Porecki and Mahe Vailanu.
“I feel like I have more to give in Australian Rugby but it comes down to taking opportunities when they come,” Latu told reporters last month.
“(2023 Rugby World Cup) was another reason why I came back. It’s a World Cup year and with the rules being you have to play in Super Rugby to get picked….it was always in the back of my mind and I knew I wasn’t going to just come back and get given the jersey because it doesn’t happen like that.
The Waratahs’ Tolu Latu. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
“I feel like if I do get on the park, get more minutes and I play enough footy and play consistently each week, then there is always an opportunity to be called up into the squad.
“I feel like I haven’t made the most of my chances that I’ve got this season. When I do get my opportunities, I need to make sure I take them and play better.”
But the indication out of the northern hemisphere is that Latu is ready to return to France, with Montpellier the likely destination after that club’s pursuit of England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie hit the rocks.
Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson told reporters he would be keen on Cowan-Dickie, revealing he was unlikely to be able to recruit Latu despite links to the Aussie.
Sanderson revealed during a press conference on Monday that he had heard the Australia international had agreed a deal for “twice the amount of money that we offered him.”
Asked if he would be interested in Cowan-Dickie, he said: “Yes, why wouldn’t you? He’s a great player.
“I don’t know if we would be in the right price point, but he’s got mates up here as well, he fits our kind of game model in that Ewan Ashman, Akker van de Merwe mould, doesn’t he? He’s a banger, so he ticks the box on a lot of fronts there.
“But I haven’t spoken to him, I haven’t spoken to Luke, so there’s nothing there in terms of that actually materialising.”
If Latu were to go to Montpellier he would link with another Wallabies hooker – Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
Melbourne Rebels’ backrower Josh Kemeny has been suspended for three weeks after an incident in the loss to the Brumbies. The former Tahs player will miss a reunion with some of his old teammates this weekend.
At the 28m 41 mark of the match Kemeny appears to hit Len Ikitau high without wrapping, as Ikitau offloads to Andy Muirhead. Contact was left shoulder to jaw but no action was taken at the time by referee James Doleman or the TMO. Ikitau continued to play on after appearing a little ginger on the ground.
The citing commissioner deemed the incident met the red card threshold for foul play.
In his finding, Foul Play Review Committee Chair Michael Heron KC ruled:
“Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence, including from the player and submissions from his legal representative, Tim North KC, the Foul Play Review Committee upheld the Citing under Law 9.13.
“With respect to sanction, the Foul Play Review Committee held the act of foul play was late and dangerous with direct and forceful contact made head-to-head. Whilst the player attempted to pull out of a late tackle, he was always high and there was no applicable mitigation. The FPRC found a high degree of danger and the conduct merited a mid-range entry point of 6 weeks. “
Eddie Jones has engaged the sports psychologist who helped England to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final to work with the Wallabies ahead of this year’s tournament in France.
Jones recruited Corinne Reid to help heal the wounds from England’s disastrous 2015 campaign, when they became the first hosts ever to crash out in the pool stages.
The West Australian professor, who helped Australia win hockey gold at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, ran honesty sessions which helped the players clear away “baggage” and improve communication on the field.
The result was England powering through to the final in the Tokyo tournament before falling to South Africa.
A clinical psychologist who now has her own consultancy, Reid was brought in for last month’s Wallabies camp on the Gold Coast.
Winger Andrew Kellaway, part of the team’s leadership group, said Reid made an impact on the group.
“We’ve been working with Corinne Reid, who has been fantastic,” Kellaway told AAP.
“She’s a very sharp lady, she brings a real edge.
“She’s been fantastic on a personal level and for us as a group, offering insights from her experience, which has been extensive.”
The Wallabies lost a number of Tests by a whisker last year. On the Spring tour their biggest losing margin in three games was three points.
A stand-out defeat also came in the Bledisloe Cup match in Melbourne when the Australians failed to manage a controversial refereeing call and allowed New Zealand to cross after the full-time siren to win.
Kellaway said the team were working on their leadership across the board to better handle such pressure-cooker situations.
“We’ve talked about understanding what leadership entails and then how that’s applied in different situations,” the 21-Test outside back said.
“We’ve talked about that being a real point of difference for us.
“I think if we’d gotten that right in the past maybe some of those tight results go in our favour and it’s something that Eddie brought to our awareness.
“It’s been a really cool experience to see these things through a different lens.”
The Melbourne Rebels flyer was part of a six-man leadership group who broke away at the camp to speak with Jones.
Kellaway said that group – including Michael Hooper, James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa and Jed Holloway – was anointed by previous Test coach Dave Rennie and he wasn’t sure how Jones would proceed.
“I’m not sure whether that’ll change or not, I’m just enjoying being a part of it and seeing how they operate,” the 27-year-old said.
“Aside from the boss obviously, seeing the way those guys operate and the level of thought that goes into everything they do, I’m really grateful to be a part of that and whether that changes I don’t know.”
Jones previously said he was yet to decide what leadership model he would pursue, with the team’s longest-serving captain Hooper putting his hand up to resume the role.
Veteran prop Slipper has led the side since Hooper stepped away in Argentina last August for mental health reasons.
(With AAP)
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.