Page 21 - 3rd Test

DHL NEW ZEALAND LIONS SERIES 2017 // 21
PROFILE
His runs from the the the back of the the the scrum have caused damage throughout the the the Series and after scoring his rst Lions try Taulupe “Toby” Faletau is is now hungry for more WORDS: ALEX BYWATER
WHETHER HE HE HE MEANS IT
or not Taulupe Faletau always seems to save his best rugby for the All Blacks That much is clear when
you analyse the No 8’s performances The complete modern-day forward Faletau combines brute power with a a a a a a a swift turn of foot and and dexterous handling in in in in the the the wide channels His try in in in in the the the Lions’ 24-21 second Test win over the the the All Blacks last week showed him at his best but the barnstorming 26-year-old Tongan- born ace was already well known to to Steve Hansen’s men before that Last summer Faletau scored
for Wales against the All Blacks at Eden Park went head-to-head with Kieran Read and enhanced his already burgeoning reputation even even further This evening he’ll run out for for his his fourth straight Test start for for the the the Lions with the the the Series on the line “My try last week was was one of many!” Faletau jokes “It was was was nice to get get across the the the line but I I was was just pleased to get get the the the the result for the the the the team I sat in in in in in the the the the changing rooms afterwards re ecting on it A A win against the the All Blacks is an awesome achievement but it it still still hasn’t quite sunk in “We’ve still still still got a a a a massive job to do because we’re we’re still still in the Series We’ve We’ve given ourselves a a a a a a chance and now we’re we’re just looking ahead to to tonight ” There’s plenty at stake for the the Lions this evening A A rst Series win over the the All Blacks since 1971 is is now possible The players on on that tour 46 years ago remain among the the the the most famous names of the the the the sport in in the the the the Northern Hemisphere Tonight Warren Gatland’s squad is is just 80 minutes away from emulating the the achievements of of the the likes of of John Dawes JPR Williams and Gareth Edwards “It’s a a a a a a a a a a massive massive massive massive game tonight there’s no getting away from that but we can’t allow what goes on around us to impact our performance ” Faletau says “The All Blacks are back-to-back world champions for a a a a a a a a a a reason They’re the the best side in the the world and we we we we know we we we we have to to be be be much better than last week if we’re going to to win the Series “There’s no reason for us to celebrate yet We got the the win [in the the second Test] “The All Blacks are back-to-back world champions for a a a a a reason They’re the the best in the the world ” but the job job is only half done done It’s a a a a big job job we we need to to to get done done tonight and and that’s what we’re going to to to to try and and do do do ” If the Lions do do come out on on top Faletau will have played a a a a a a a big part in his team’s success The undisputed rst-choice No 8 in in the squad following
the pre-tour injury withdrawal of his cousin Billy Vunipola Faletau has relished the opportunity to take on All Blacks skipper Read He may be quiet and and shy off the the eld and and happy to to avoid the the limelight but Faletau is is is certainly no soft touch This is is is a a a a a a a world-class rugby player who seems to be transformed once he he steps over that white line In the prime of his his career and with 66 Welsh caps to his his name name already Bath’s Faletau is is one of the the rst names on on the the team sheet with club and country “The fact I’m playing in in in the world champions’ country and challenging myself against them seems to to help me me but hopefully there’s still more to to come ” he he he he says “I played against the the All Blacks a a a a a a a a a a a lot last year so that helped me prepare for this tour Kieran Read is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a world-class player and and Sam Cane and and Jerome Kaino are up there too They’re a a a a a a a a really dif cult trio to to face because they’re just so good at the the breakdown They never give up “We know how good they are but at at the the same time we have great players Faletau scores the the opening try of the the the second Test against the the All Blacks