Carwyn Tuipulotu has vowed to make a big enough splash in France the ripples will wash up all the way back home to Wales interim coach Matt Sherratt.
Tuipulotu is set to make his third appearance for Pau this weekend when they face Racing 92 in Paris on Saturday. The former Wales U20 back rower joined Pau as a medical joker from the Scarlets last month and has already made a notable impact with stand-out starting performances at No.8 against Stade Francais and Perpignan.
That’s a far cry from the muted influence the 23-year-old was having at the Scarlets, where he had only made one replacement appearance all season. His way was blocked by Vaea Fifita and Taine Plumtree, which led to a short two-game loan spell at Saracens.
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But it is in the south-west of France, in the shadows of the Pyrenees, where Tuipulotu intends to grab the limelight. “I firmly believe that the more games I play, the more confidence I can gain, and the quicker I can develop,” says Tuipulotu, the son of former Ebbw Vale and Tonga forward Kati Tuipolotu.
“It was frustrating at the Scarlets because I felt I was gaining momentum last season, but then I was finding hard to get into the starting line-up this season because of the quality of their back row.
“Saracens was an eye-opener and really valuable experience to gain and now this opportunity has come along to play in a completely different rugby environment and I was eager to make sure I seized it with both hands.”
Tuipulotu made his debut at Stade Francais, where Pau – currently 10th in the Top 14 – lost a thriller, 39-37. The 19-stone forward held on to his place and made a home debut last week against Perpignan, playing a big part with his powerful ball-carrying in a 23-6 victory.
Now, he intends to build on that fast start and rekindle his status as a likely future Wales international who was tipped to inherit the Wales No.8 short from his cousin Taulupe Faletau.
“It’s a time of change in Welsh rugby and I want to be a part of that,” adds Tuipulotu, who was signed by Pau as medical cover for the remainder of the French season, which runs well into June.
“This chance has suddenly come along for me to make an impact and I’m determined to take it. Playing in France, with and against so many good players, can only help me improve and hopefully catch people’s eye.”
The signing of Tuipulotu has added another international flag to the Pau team sheet, which already contained former All Blacks forward Luke Whitelock – brother of Sam – Argentina prop Ignacio Calles, South African hooker Dan Jooste, Fiji lock Lekima Tagitagivalu, Tongan Siate Tokolahi, three Georgians, an Australian, plus English trio Dan Robson, Joe Simmonds and Harry Williams.
“I’ve been really lucky, because so many of other boys have really helped me settle quickly – the likes of Lekima (Tagitagivalu), Dan (Robson), Joe (Simmonds) and Harry (Williams)," he said.
“I’ve been very lucky that the English-speaking players have made the transition go smoothly. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind to play for three different clubs in three different countries in the same season, but what an opportunity!”
As an uncapped senior player, should Tuipulotu extend his time in France, he would remain eligible for Wales as players yet to pull in the jersey are not captured by the current 25-cap rule.
“It’s my ambition to play for Wales, but I know I need to work hard," he said. "That’s the thing my father taught me – work hard and faith in God pays off and I’m a man of strong faith.
“I would recommend playing abroad to any player who is thinking about it. It gives you a chance to grow as a player and as a person and that has definitely been true of myself.”
The deal for Tuipulotu to move to France was brokered by Tom Beattie, head of rugby at TDB Sports, who is backing the latest Welshman in France to become a big success.
“Carwyn showed as an 18-year-old coming out of the Scarlets system what he could do and then made his mark with Wales U20s,” says Beattie.
“Sébastien Piqueronies, the head coach at Pau, was aware of Carwyn’s talent because he had coached the French U20 side when they played against Carwyn.
“Carwyn has had great mentors at the Scarlets, players like Sione Kalamafoni and Vaea Fifita, and he’s taken a lot of learnings from those experiences.
“But the key this year for Carwyn was game time. The Scarlets have a very strong back row, so this opportunity came along and thanks to people there like James Davies, we’ve been able to make it happen.”
“I’m certain Carwyn is really going to embrace this opportunity and I’m excited to see what happens.”
