'So glad': How Sione Tuipulotu nearly turned back on Scotland - and social media adulation grandma is getting

Sione Tuipulotu’s association with Scottish rugby has been an enriching experience for both parties, but the relationship almost ended before it had begun during the dark days of Covid.

The newly-appointed Scotland captain revealed yesterday that he was close to quitting the country after being stuck in a quarantine hotel for four weeks in 2021.

Tuipulotu, who will lead the national side solo for the first time today in the autumn Test against Fiji, had just arrived in the country after agreeing to sign for Glasgow Warriors. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic were still very much in evidence and the centre was forced to isolate.

“When I first came over I actually did two weeks quarantine because it was in the Covid times and then when I popped out, one of the boys got Covid. So I ended up doing four weeks in a hotel before I did any training. And I remember there were some pretty dark days. I was thinking about going home, to be honest, because it was getting a bit tough. But I’m so glad that I made the move to come over.”

Sione Tuipulotu will captain Scotland for the first time against Fiji on Saturday. | SNS Group / SRU

So too is just about everybody associated with Scottish rugby because Tuipulotu has been a revelation. A powerful centre who combines strength and speed with a breathtaking skillset, he has matured into one of the best players in the world and now appears a certainty to tour with the British and Irish Lions in Australia next summer.

Tuipulotu was born and brought up in a Melbourne suburb and the chance to return there and show the Wallabies what they are missing is a powerful motivator. He played for Australia at under-20 level but was overlooked for full honours and, by his own admission, fell out of love with the game for a spell. A move to Japan rekindled the spark but it was a Zoom call from Gregor Townsend that changed his career path and convinced Tuipulotu that his future lay with Scotland, for whom he qualified through his maternal grandmother Jacqueline Thomson who emigrated to Australia from Greenock.

“I never thought I’d be Scotland captain, that’s a fact. But I did come over here with a vision for myself to play for Scotland and I wouldn’t have come over here if that wasn’t my vision,” said Tuipulotu of his sliding doors moment. “I could have stayed in Japan or I could have gone back to Australia to try to play for the Wallabies. And when I came to that crossroads, when I was sitting in Japan, I had the three choices of staying – I'd already been in Japan for three years and could possibly have stayed on and qualified or residency - or I could have gone back to Australia and tried to play for the Wallabies - there were opportunities back there to play at the franchises.

“But after I spoke with Gregor on Zoom, I was pretty set on what I was going to do next. I don’t know why I was so sure about it, but for some reason my mind and everything were made up after I spoke to Gregor.”

Tuipulotu hit the ground running with Glasgow and was fast-tracked into the Scotland team for the 2021 autumn internationals. His debut came against Tonga, another country he could have represented through ancestry, and he soon cemented his place in the national side. His progress has been rapid but he always believed he had the talent to make it to Test level.

Tuipulotu is indebted to a conversation with Gregor Townsend. | SNS Group / SRU

“That’s probably the part that doesn’t surprise me because I put my heart and soul into my journey here,” he said. “And I’ve worked really hard to get to this point. And not only with Scotland, but also with Glasgow. And I’ve been lucky enough to land in the lap of some coaches that believed in my talent. So I’m really grateful for everything.”

When Townsend announced last month that the former Melbourne Rebels player was taking over the captaincy from joint skippers Finn Russell and Rory Darge, the coach said that one of Tuipulotu’s strengths was his ability to “set the emotional tone”. In a high-performance environment where passions aren’t far from the surface, players can tread a fine line but for Tuipulotu it is the fuel that drives him

“I can’t really play well if I’m not emotionally invested in what I’m doing,” he said. “And I’m emotionally invested at Glasgow and I’m emotionally invested with Scotland. I know if I’m not that before the game that could be a big reason why I don’t play well.

“When I speak, I suppose sometimes it can come out a little bit emotionally, good or bad, and that’s probably what Gregor was talking about.”

He said Russell and Darge had been very supportive, as have been his family - and there is no prouder grandmother than Jacqueline Thomson.

“I think my grandma’s finally figured out how to use social media and she’s started replying to some of the fans online,” revealed Tuipulotu.

“I think some of the fans are saying ‘thank you to the Granny from Greenock’ and she’s replying, ‘No worries!’ Stuff like that, which is hilarious because it was on Facebook and she doesn’t even have a Facebook profile picture, just a blank face and Jacqueline Thomson but yeah, she’s stoked and she’ll be up early in the morning watching our games.”

Tuipulotu and his partner Lara became new parents in the summer with the birth of Tu’uhefohe Junior (TJ), named after Sione’s dad, and Tuipulotu’s mother Angelina is in Scotland to see her grandchild and watch her son lead his country

Tuipulotu and his Scotland team-mates prepare for facing Fiji. | SNS Group / SRU

“Yeah, my mum’s over here for the whole Autumn Nations. She got over here a week and a half ago so she's been giving Lara a massive helping hand at home with TJ while I'm in camp and I’m grateful for that. She hasn’t been to a Murrayfield game before, so it’s pretty cool that her first game at Murrayfield will be with me captaining.”

She may also get the chance to see Sione’s younger brother Mosese wear the dark blue later in the month. Also a centre, he followed Sione to Scotland in the summer, signing for Edinburgh, and while he is not involved this weekend he is part of Townsend’s wider squad for the autumn series which will continue with games against South Africa, Portugal and Australia.

But it’s Fiji first and an open and attacking game is expected. Both sides are without their French and English-based players because the match is taking place outside the Test window but Scotland have still been able to name an experienced team which should be too strong for opponents drawn almost entirely from the Fiji Drua side which plays in Super Rugby.

Townsend has warned against giving Fiji easy ball to play off and stressed the need to be disciplined in attack. “Playing to width with good running lines and resourcing breakdown and being accurate should be exciting to watch,” he said, “but throwing loose passes or in particular giving loose kicks to any opposition is going to put you under a lot of pressure.”

Anything other than a winning start for the new captain would be a major shock at a sold-out Murrayfield as the sides meet for the 12th time in a Test match. Fiji have twice beaten Scotland, the first time in 1998 when they won 51-26 and the second time in 2017 when they edged it 27-22. Townsend played in the first and was coach in the second but those matches were on Fijian soil. Scotland have never lost at home to today’s opponents and with a match-day squad featuring 15 players from URC champions Glasgow Warriors they should be too strong for the visitors.