Tupou's redemption: From Waratahs woes to Lion tamer
'I didn't want to come up here and try something different or try to be a hero, I just wanted to do my job,' Tupou said.
'I knew the Lions are one of the best (teams) in the world. You've got (Andrew) Porter, you've got (Ellis) Genge coming off the bench. They're so good so I had to be on my best to go against them...I did my best out there.'
Shortly after the enforced break due to lightning, Tupou also made a brilliant break that almost led to a Wallabies try. The prop explained the unexpected time in the changing room gave him another few minutes out on the field.
'I was enjoying it (the break), I was like, more, man, more,I think I needed that break, actually,' Tupou said. 'I was supposed to play 40 or 50 (minutes), I ended up playing 60, thanks to the lightning.
'Honestly, when I made that break, I didn't know that anyone was inside me. So, I was just thinking, okay, it's a one-on-one with the fullback. I'm going to try and swap the ball and then fend, that's the last thing I remember. I was on the ground and I was like, what? I would have loved to have scored that, but I didn't.'
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Tupou will play his club rugby for Racing 92 in Paris next season, but stressed that he will be always be available for his country should Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt want to select him, including this year's Rugby Championship.
'I'll always make myself available for the Wallabies, whether I'm in France or wherever I am, if they need me, I'll 100 per cent put my hands up,' Tupou said.
'Hopefully, this isn't the last time, hopefully, there's more to come...If I want to go to France and perform, I need to keep playing footy. This helps me. Hopefully, I keep playing. Who knows what happens in TRC (Rugby Championship), fingers crossed.'
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