It is some of the most mind-blowing rugby footage ever seen. A 21st schoolboy prop who just happens to be the fastest and most skillful player on the field too.
The video of young Taniela Tupou tearing it up at age-grade level did the rounds on TikTok, pulling in a whopping 8.8 million views and over one million likes. His size at just 17 is mind-blowing, however it is his speed and skills that shocked many.
The video was taken from a match that actually took place in New Zealand, with Tupou playing for Sacred Heart College. He scores tries with ease while would-be tacklers helplessly bounce off the 'Tongan Thor'. The video explains the tight-head was a staggering '135 kilograms' (around 21st) at just 17-years-old and was 'the fastest player on the pitch'.
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His physique as a teen is something that many other front-rowers could only dream of well into their 20s. At the end of the video text pops up and simply says, 'A star was made.'
So, what happened to the kid?
Well, Tupou will be starting in the front-row for the Wallabies against England on the weekend. He actually featured in the second test, where England made the series 1-1. The tight-head scored the first Wallaby try as they made an impressive comeback after being dominated in the opening exchanges.
Tupou went on to make his debut just three years after this remarkable clip first emerged, against Scotland at Murrayfield in 2017. He has become a household name in Australian rugby and featured for the Barbarians against Australia before he got his first cap.
Australia and England will lock horns for the third and final time on Saturday, as they battle it out to see who will take the Ella-Mobbs trophy. Tupou lines up next to James Slipper and David Porecki in the front-row, as a star-studded Wallaby side look to make it 2-1.
This isn't the first slice of attention that Tupou has received since the start of the series, he was involved in a cheeky Australian advert aiming a jibe at England before the tournament started.
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