Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu celebrated his British and Irish Lions call-up – but admitted he feared his dream of touring his homeland Australia would be wrecked by injury.
One of the form players in world rugby over the past year, Tuipulotu was forced to miss Scotland’s Six Nations campaign due to a pectoral injury suffered in January.
The 28-year-old centre revealed there had been some dark days knowing that his hopes of touring Australia, the country where he was born and grew up, hung in the balance.
However, he was one of eight Scots named in Andy Farrell’s 38-man squad yesterday, with Finn Russell, Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, Duhan van der Merwe, Pierre Schoeman, Zander Fagerson and Scott Cummings also selected.
It matches Scotland’s total of eight players on the last tour of South Africa in 2021, and is just one short of their record total of nine for the 1989 tour of Australia.
Admitting he thought the chance had been cruelly snatched away from him, Tuipulotu said: ‘Honestly, it’s such a relief.
Sione Tuipulotu had been in stunning form for Scotland before he was injured earlier this year
Tuipulotu is due to return to action later this month and celebrated his Lions call-up
‘Going through my rehab process, especially early on, there were a few points where I thought that was me done.
‘My dad was over at that time and he’ll be able to tell you. I was walking around the house going: “Well, that’s me done”. I didn’t think it was going to happen.
‘I was so dark over those first couple of weeks when I got hurt, just because of how I was playing.
‘I got named as captain for the Six Nations and all the emotions I was feeling then were so positive. It then felt like I was having it all taken away from me.
‘I was playing the best rugby of my life and I got hurt. You battle your own emotions and stuff like that all the way up into selection, saying: “Am I even still being considered?”
‘That’s the kind of stuff that goes through your head. But the culmination of when finally your name gets read out, I can’t tell you that feeling. It’s euphoria.
‘I just want to go out in Australia and perform in big games for such an amazing team. The Lions is rich in history and I just want to add my own piece to that book.’
Tuipulotu is expected to be back playing for Glasgow at some point over the next couple of weeks and is determined to play a big role in the URC play-offs.
Vowing to repay the faith shown in him byFarrell, he added: ‘I’m not embarrassed to say that I wanted this so bad.
‘It’s a goal I had right from the start of the season. It’s all I’ve thought about. I really wanted to go on this tour.
‘I wanted to perform in every game to make myself eligible. And to finally hear my name get read out …. wow!
‘I’ve got so many people to be thankful for, and I feel like I’m a better player now emotionally.
‘After it got taken away from me pre-Six Nations, it’s made me into someone that’s going to be better and I just want to deliver on that now.
‘I just want to take my opportunity. I just want to repay the coaches by jumping back in there and proving why they selected me.
‘I feel like I’m going to be a better player than what I was when I got hurt. I’m going to be more hungry, more desperate. I’m so excited.
‘I’m not embarrassed to say that, since the year started it’s been all I could think about… playing well for Glasgow, for Scotland, so I could play for the Lions.’
Van der Merwe was one of several Scots who went into the squad announcement feeling anxious due to a recent injury.
Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings and Huw Jones join Tuipulotu in the Lions squad
Edinburgh’s giant winger is recovering from ankle surgery – and admits he was shocked to hear his name being called out as the squad was announced at the O2 in London.
He said: ‘Since I’ve picked up the niggle, you have doubts and you start thinking: “Is this going to have an effect on me going on the tour”.
‘Then you start taking yourself back to the Six Nations. “Did I have my best Six Nations? Good at times, but probably a wee bit average at times”.
‘Then you start thinking: “Am I the type of winger [Lions coach] Andy Farrell likes”? You think about that every single day.
‘So I’m definitely a wee bit shocked, but at the same time, I’m absolutely buzzing.’
Van der Merwe, who went on the last tour of South Africa, watched the announcement at home with his wife.
He said his biggest focus now is to get himself fit and firing for the end of Edinburgh’s URC season, in the hope that they make the knockouts.
‘I’m doing well with the injury,’ he said. ‘I ran yesterday and got up to a very good speed. I’ll definitely be back towards the end of May.
‘I’ve got to get myself out there again. I want to be fit and in shape and ready to play my best rugby. But, right now, I need to go and get a beer.’
Van der Merwe expects this tour to be an altogether different affair from the last one, which was played in Covid times.
‘Four years ago, I’d only played for Scotland maybe eight or 10 times, so I guess I didn’t really expect anything. This time around, I really want to experience it with our fans. I was a lot more nervous than four years ago.’
