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The Tongan Thor - Ireland's next project player?

135kg tighthead prop Taniela Tupou ran in a sensational hat-trick for Sacred Heart College in New Zealand last weekend.

Dnt .Snitch / YouTube

TANIELA TUPOU IS the latest sensation in New Zealand schoolboy rugby, and weighing in at 135kg the tighthead prop is hard to miss. The 18-year-old crossed for a hat-trick inside the first 20 minutes of Sacred Heart College’s win over the famous Kelston Boys’ High School last weekend.

Now being called ‘The Tongan Hulk’ or ‘The Tongan Thor,’ Tupou looks set to draw attention from Super Rugby and NRL [rugby league] sides when his time dominating the Auckland schools competition comes to an end.

With the IRFU increasingly open to the idea of project players coming to Ireland and qualifying to play for the national team three years later, they may be keeping an eye on the explosive prop too!*

*This is, of course, not a serious suggestion.

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    Mute John Hughes
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    Sep 28th 2011, 1:11 PM

    Yeah right they’d pull out of RWC15. They would have rioting on the streets of every city and town in NZ if they tried that one. If you’re going to bluff at least try something believable.

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    Mute Adrian O'Donnell
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    Sep 28th 2011, 1:57 PM

    Could you imagine if Brazil pulled out of the FIFA World Cup? Or India from the cricket? Or Kilkenny from the GAA?? It’s ridiculous to suggest a move like that. I thought Aussies were bad last week, but this is just ludicrous!

    At least threaten to do something that you might actually do without the realistic of a national mutiny!

    Wingin gits..

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    Mute John Ó'Ríordán
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    Sep 28th 2011, 6:35 PM

    While we are on the subject off the All-Blacks does anyone know why time can be made to accommodate the Haka, but time can’t be made to play Amhrán na bhFiann and Ireland Call?

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    Mute Peter De Courcy
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    Sep 28th 2011, 1:29 PM

    It was always the Poms who were accused of whinging by our Southern Hemisphere cousins. However this World Cup has shown the Aussies and now the Kiwi’s to be even better at it. Could they not work out the costs BEFORE hosting it? Could they not get the NZ government to put a tournament tax on the profit bars, hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions have made from the visiting teams supporters. Maybe they expect the IRB to pay for the cost of the damage done by the earthquake as well? Boycott 2015 ….yeah right. What a shower.

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    Mute Phil Mc Donald
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    Sep 28th 2011, 6:07 PM

    Or Man Utd pulling out of the FA Cup?….oh.

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