Page 23 - Blues v The Lions

PROFILE
TOBY
HITS THE
HEIGHTS
After suffering defeat at at Super Rugby hands in in in in 2016 Lions No 8 Toby Faletau is expecting nothing less than a a a a rough ride from the Blues tonight WORDS: ALEX MEAD
THERE’S NO DOUBTING
the Welshness of Taulupe Faletau He loves his his rugby his his accent is is is de nitely of the Welsh variety and he he grew
up in the valleys Not that that that’s to take away from his his obvious Tongan characteristics nor his his roots of which he he he remains steadfastly proud And he he he is is is is without doubt clearly his father’s son Especially when that father father was a a a a a a a a a mighty Tongan lock by the the name of Kuli But having arrived as as a a a a a a a a a a nipper when his dad was signed by by by a a a a a a a a a a “proper” Welsh valleys rugby club by by by the the name of Ebbw Vale his education in the the sport has been
very much a a a a Welsh one His schoolboy friends even decided to to rename him him to to make him him truly their own with Toby proving much easier for them to say than Taulupe But from the the moment a a a a a a a seven-year- old Taulupe arrived in in the the valleys he he he started his journey to to becoming a a a a a a Welsh legend not to to mention a a a a a a British & Irish Lion His rst steps on on on that path came with his father’s new club as a a a a a a a a winger for for the the under 10s Thankfully for for backs
the the world over he he he was soon moved into the the the forwards At roughly the the same time as as Toby was nding his feet in in in in Wales about
20 minutes down the the the road in in in in another valley town by the the the name of Pontypool a a a a a a a a Tongan called Fe’ao Vunipola was signing on on on the the dotted line for their local rugby club Like Kuli his sons Mako and and Billy would be be joining him in in in Wales – and and so began a a a a a a a a true Tongan-British rugby fairytale Firm friends from the the start – there weren’t too many Tongans in Wales at the the the time – the the the Faletaus would move nearer to the the the Vunipolas If you you were a a a a a a a neighbour you’d no doubt have caught the the the the four four of of them (the fourth being Toby’s brother Josh) having games of of two-on- two two in in in the the the the garden Even then seeing some of of the the the the hits it it might not have been
too much of of a a a a a a stretch to to imagine them becoming international rugby players As it turns out in in in 2013
Faletau and Mako Vunipola would both became Lions for for the the rst time and this year Billy would have joined them if not for for for an an injury just two weeks before the the squad
DHL NEW ZEALAND LIONS SERIES 2017 // 23