The WRU is to blame for missing out on the Vunipola brothers

Billy and Mako Vunipola may have slipped through Wales‘fingers, but their first rugby coach is making sure that does not happen again.
Pontypool & District Schools coach Dawson Jones was first to spot and then nurture the brothers’ talent along with that of Taulupe Faletau.
In fact, the former Abertillery prop, awarded an MBE in 2013 for services to schools rugby, was also taxi, kit supplier and mentor to all three who still call him ‘Uncle Daws’.
Jones was Billy’s guest at Twickenham yesterday to watch the three cousins go head-to-head and that only reminded him again how the WRU ignored his pleas to secure the Vunipola brothers, whom he also picked to represent East Wales Schools time and again.
So Jones is desperate to avoid another star slipping through the net and reckons he may already have the next two ‘Valley Tongans’ coming through the ranks.
The turn of the century, following the 1999 World Cup, saw an influx of signings from the Pacific Islands to Wales, that included Kuli Faletau and Fe’ao Vunipola.
Among them was also Tonga prop Uiniati Moa, who joined Bridgend and is now coach at Pontypool, and like his old man, 11-year-old son Taran is packing down in the front-row.
Young centre Kepu Tuipulotu is also proving a star at school level. Father Sione Tuipulotu was capped 29 times by Tonga between 1997 and 2008, including facing England in the 2007 World Cup, but played the majority of his rugby in Wales with Pontypool, Caerphilly and then Newport Gwent Dragons before joining Worcester.
In his first competitive game of rugby, Kepu scored a hat-trick for Pontypool Schools and has already totted up 17 tries in 11 appearances, this despite being a year younger than most of the other boys.
Coach and former headmaster Jones, 66, said: “These boys are looking hugely promising, especially Kepu who can’t stop scoring tries since the first time he touched a rugby ball.
“They could well follow in the footsteps of Billy, Taulupe and Mako and the great things is that both their fathers have married Welsh girls, so they will be staying in the Valleys.
“I’m still gutted that we lost Billy and Mako. I blame the WRU. I kept telling them about this lad [Billy] who everyone was talking about wherever he went.
“Terry Cobner [then WRU director of rugby] and Mostyn Richards [then WRU elite performance director] knew about him and could have brought both him and Mako back as part of an Exiles youth side that included Toby, because the family still lived in Griffithstown. Yet they didn’t and I don’t know why, but the rest is history.
“Kepu and Taran are good but they will struggle to match the impact of Billy.
“He set all the records for Pontypool Schools because no-one has ever played in the team for three years. Usually it’s just one.
“He had the most appearances (more than 60) and most tries. His record for most tries in a season only went this year. I don’t think anyone will every beat his record for playing three years for East Wales.”
He added: “Out of the Wales side that faced England, 17 played district rugby including Sam
Warburton as well as coaches Neil Jenkins and Rob Howley.
“It’s a great breeding ground for talent.”
Jones also hit back at calls to ban tackling in schools rugby.
He added: “I’ve been involved in schools rugby for 46 years and can count the serious injuries on one hand.
“Tag rugby is a safe introduction, but if you take out tackling for the older kids many would leave because it may as well be football.
“At least in rugby, boys are taught how to tackle and fall properly, not like football.”
MATT LLOYD