All Blacks midfielder Quinn Tupaea is determined to make the centre position his own as the team prepare to depart for their upcoming Grand Slam tour.
Tupaea has spent the majority of his career at second-five but was a surprise selection in the No 13 jersey for the second Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in Perth, and he didn’t disappoint, scoring two tries as New Zealand claimed a 28-14 win.
His performance would have left coach Scott Robertson plenty to ponder over their break on who is the best player to partner Jordie Barrett in the midfield in the All Blacks’ best side with four tough tests on the horizon, starting on November 2 against Ireland in Chicago.
The other players in the mix are Billy Proctor, who had started the previous five tests at centre before being dropped, while Rieko Ioane, Leicester Faingaʻanuku, and Anton Lienert-Brown are also capable of playing the position.
But after having a taste in the starting side, Tupaea is determined to make the most of any upcoming opportunities within the starting side.
“I didn’t see myself as a starting centre,” Tupaea said. “But after the Perth performance, it’s a place I’d welcome to continue starting at.
“I was pleased personally how I went there and hadn’t played a lot at 13 and was pretty nervous throughout the week, so it was good to get that performance under my belt.
“There’s four other guys who play centre as well, who’ve also put their hand up during this season, so it’s going to be a battle for spots in the backline for sure.”
For Tupaea, getting these opportunities has been a long time coming after a horror run of injuries where he ruptured his medial cruciate ligament (MCL) and a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament (ALC) in his left knee.
It’s taken some time to gain some confidence, but Tupaea says he’s enjoying his time out on the field again, and moments like his performance in Perth make it worthwhile.
“It’s a pinch-myself moment,” Tupaea said. “It’s been a lot of hard work to get back to that spot.
“It’s very satisfying to be able to do that on the biggest stage and especially where I came from a few years ago.
“Had some tough moments along the road. A lot of support from my family and partner, which is awesome, so it was good to celebrate that moment with them after the game.”
Following the test against Ireland, the All Blacks face Scotland at Murrayfield, England at Twickenham, and Wales at Millennium Stadium, and victory in all four tests will see them complete the Grand Slam for the first time since 2010 and just the fifth time in their history.
All eyes are firmly on the Irish and Tupaea admits there is still plenty of hurt, having been part of the 2022 series where the All Blacks suffered a historic series defeat.
But one test he’s eager to play in is against Scotland, where he could face off against former club teammate at Hamilton Old Boys Tom Jordan, who has established himself as a key utility in Gregor Townsend’s side.
“We’re club teammates for my first two years of club at Hamilton Old Boys,” Tupaea said. “He was my first five, so me, him and Sevu [Reece] all played lots together.”
Jordan is currently suspended after being sent off playing for the Bristol Bears, but he will be eligible to face the All Blacks after completing the Coaching Intervention Programme.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.