Scotland star Sione Tuipulotu ‘not taking anything for granted’ as he reveals Stafford McDowall chat

Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu (centre) during the win over France.

Two years after arriving in Scotland from Australia via Japan Sione Tuipulotu is on the verge of going to the Rugby World Cup.

It’s been a rapid rise for the muscular centre but he won’t believe it until he’s seen his name on Gregor Townsend’s official squad list. Tuipulotu saw his Glasgow Warriors team-mate Stafford McDowall cut from the squad at the weekend as Townsend trimmed his training group form 41 to 37, and a further four will be dropped before the Scotland coach names his final 33-man selection next Wednesday.

Tuipulotu, 26, said he and his Glasgow team-mates rallied round McDowall at the weekend, consoling the centre who was a mainstay for the Warriors last season, scoring nine tries in 19 appearances as they reached the URC play-offs and final of the European Challenge Cup. McDowall played in the first World Cup warm-up game against Italy but it wasn’t enough to break his way into the final squad.

“We’ve all got around him,” said Tuipulotu. “I’ve got so much respect for Stafford and his journey. When I first came over here in my first year at Glasgow, Stafford wasn’t playing a lot. But over the last 12 months, the amount of growth and success he’s had with Glasgow has been unreal.

Sione Tuipulotu is not taking his inclusion in the World Cup squad for granted.

“I text him after we found out the news about the squad. I just said to him about how much growth he’s had over the last year. I’ve loved competing against him and also playing alongside him at Glasgow. He’s only going to get better and continue his growth over the next year. He’s a really strong-minded guy. I know for sure he’ll bounce back from this.”

McDowall is one of four to have left the Scotland camp, with second row forward Cameron Henderson, stand-off Adam Hastings and winger Kyle Rowe also cut from the squad.

“They named the boys who are leaving after the game on Saturday, so we all found out then, so we were given a chance to say goodbye to Stafford and Hendo as well,” added Tuipulotu. “You train with a group of boys for eight to ten weeks, so you feel like that’s the group, and then boys start falling off or getting released and it’s really heavy, to be honest, because they’ve put in a lot of work up to this point. So, I really wish them the best going back into clubland.”

One man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity, and McDowall’s exclusion almost certainly means that the four Scotland centres going to the World Cup in France will be Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Cam Redpath and Chris Harris. Tuipulotu was understandably reluctant to admit as much, especially after seeing the surprise exclusion of Henry Slade from the England World Cup squad which was named this week.

“I won’t be taking anything for granted until I see my name in that final 33-man squad,” said Tuipulotu who won his 17th cap in Saturday’s win over France at Murrayfield and is likely to be in the mix again this weekend when Scotland take on the same opponents in Saint-Etienne. “That’s everyone’s mindset, maybe bar a couple of boys. It’s a high-pressure environment and very competitive. All you can do is keep pushing until that squad is announced.

“I’ve been watching Henry Slade play for England for years. There was a long period of time where he was one of the first names on the team-sheet. So it can happen to anyone. You just need to keep playing your best rugby and keep moving forward. I don’t know exactly what’s happened with Henry Slade and England. But yeah, seeing that definitely does put you on edge.”

Such has been Tuipulotu’s impact for Scotland, particularly last season, it would be a huge surprise if he wasn’t on the plane to France next month. Born in Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne, he qualifies for Scotland through his maternal grandmother who emigrated to Australia from Greenock. He joined Glasgow from Japanese club Yamaha Jubilo ahead of the 2021-22 season having previously played Super Rugby for the Melbourne Rebels. His first campaign in Scotland was impressive and his international debut came against Tonga in the 2021 autumn Tests. But it was during last season that Tuipulotu really shone for club and country, striking up profitable midfield partnership with Jones who returned to Scotstoun last summer. The pair played together throughout Scotland’s Six Nations campaign and Tuipulotu was voted into the Team of the Championship. Further recognition came when he was named in the URC Elite XV of the season. The progress has been rapid but he has always been ambitious.

“First and foremost, my main goal when I moved here was to play for Scotland,” he said. “When I ticked that box and could see myself developing as a player, I saw the World Cup as being at the end of my initial two-year contract. It was a good goal for me to set up mentally. It pushed me to keep working hard at my game and keep on developing. I feel like I’ve done that – but I also know that I’ve still got so much growth left in me. It’s exciting. Every time I come in with Scotland, I always want to be a better player than I was in the previous camp. That takes a lot of hard work off the field. Now we’re at the start of hopefully what is a World Cup journey for me. I’m looking forward to it.”