One of world’s best No.8s? I’m not even top in Wales, says humble Taulupe Faletau

Trying to make Taulupe Faletau sing his own praises, and watching him refuse to brand himself as one of the best No.8s in the world, is as painful as it is refreshing.
Aged only 23, the Tonga-born giant has already played in a World Cup, toured with the Lions and helped Wales to back-to-back Six Nations crowns. Yet he would rather name any number of players before mentioning himself.
All Black Kieran Read, last week’s opponent Sergio Parisse, Lions rival Jamie Heaslip, Louis Picamoles and even Osprey Joe Bearman all get a mention before laughing it off when cornered into naming the best No.8 at the Dragons. But Taulupe, formerly known as Toby, is a humble person with strong family and hard-working values.
“I’m far away from the top. I don’t like to rate myself against the other players,” he told The Rugby Paper. “Kieran is a great player. Facing him gives you a measure of where you are. He’s the best player in the world and if you can hold your own against him then you’re doing okay.”
Faletau’s journey to the top started while at Filton School in 2008. He went to a few training sessions at Bristol with his cousins Mako and Billy Vunipola but surprisingly he was never noticed.
In his third year, he trained with Cross Keys and made his senior debut soon after. He has not looked back since.
“I remember being on the bench for my first game with Cross Keys,” he added. “We were playing Llanelli and Ben Morgan was running riot. I remember thinking maybe it’s better if I stay on the bench.
“My dad kept telling me to enjoy it like when I was playing with Mako and Billy. Since then it’s kept going well for me. I don’t know why and I still can’t believe it’s real.
“There’s still a lot of hard work to be done on my game to help me and the teams I play for achieve great things.”
Dad Kuli, who moved the whole family to Wales in 1997 after joining Ebbw Vale, has been his mentor from the start so it was no surprise he turned to him when questions about his future were raised.
Big-money moves away from Wales were on the table but, true to his nature, Faletau Jnr decided to stay put for another two years and repay the Dragons for the faith they showed in him.
He will now be part of the Lyn Jones revolution at Rodney Parade and bringing his team to the top of Welsh rugby is high on his agenda. “There were opportunities to move on but I sat down with my dad when I got back from Australia and we both decided the best thing to do was to stay,” he said.
“The Dragons are the reason I’m here today and I owe them a lot. With the new management in place, I thought it was the best environment for me to improve my game. Staying in Wales for another two years next to my family was also a big factor. We want to turn things around here in the next two years. I used to get some stick from the boys in camp coming from the Dragons but that’s changing and the arrivals of Lee Byrne and Aled Brew show how serious we are.”
Dragons debut in 2009; World Cup debut in 2011; Lions tour in 2013; Faletau seems to be reaching a new landmark every two years and the World Cup in England next year would fit right into that cycle.
Since their agonising semi-final defeat by France in New Zealand, Warren Gatland has built a team which has dominated the last two Six Nations and were the core of the winning Lions team in Australia last summer.
To become the second European side to lift the Webb Ellis trophy, Wales will have to beat a Southern Hemisphere nation though and that has been a hurdle in recent years. But Faletau reckons winning in Australia with the Lions has helped increase Welsh self-belief.
He said: “The last autumn series proved there is still work to be done and that we need to be more accurate on details and finishing off the few opportunities they offer.
“But winning with the Lions helped a lot building our confidence in knowing we can actually beat these guys.”
NICK VERDIER
Under Armour athlete and Wales No.8 Taulupe Faletau was speaking at an exclusive training event held by Under Armour, the Official Technical Partner of the Welsh Rugby Union. For more information, click here.