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How Welsh Rolls Royce Faletau is inspiring next-gen ahead of return
When you hear a sportsman mentioned in the same breath as Roger Federer and Lionel Messi, you know you are dealing with someone very special.
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That’s certainly the case with Wales legend Taulupe Faletau who will make his long-awaited return to action for Cardiff Rugby in Friday night’s URC clash with Ulster Rugby in Belfast.
The 104-times capped No 8 hasn’t played since breaking his arm in the World Cup game against Georgia in Nantes last October, with a subsequent calf injury extending his lay-off.
Now, after more than six months on the sidelines, he will make his comeback in the visitors’ starting line-up at the Kingspan Stadium this weekend.
Welcoming the news, Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt said: “It is brilliant to have him back, for Taulupe and for the rest of the group.
“He’s a Rolls-Royce, isn’t he?
“He is out there running around and he gets the best out of everyone else.
“You can see it when he’s back around, with the likes of Mackenzie Martin, Alex Mann. Who doesn’t want to play with Taulupe Faletau? He’s a brilliant player.
“He doesn’t say a huge amount, he is pretty quiet, but he loves playing rugby. If you speak to him about the next game or playing for Wales, his eyes light up like he’s a first capper.”
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On how the 33-year-old Faletau has fought back from his double injury blow, Sheratt says: “It’s credit to him because it’s obviously been quite a long route back and he has had to show a lot of his character and resilience to get back out there. He is a good professional and a brilliant guy.
“I am sure he has found it hard, but he’s back and firing and ready to go.
“I have had a couple of conversations with him where I have said ‘Are you missing playing?’ and he’s said he’s found himself sat in the house watching rugby.
“He said his wife walked in the other day and said ‘You are desperate to play, aren’t you?’. He replied ‘Well, I must be, because I am watching rugby!’
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“I think he has been desperate to get back. He seems to have kept the joy of playing rugby and I can’t wait to see him play.”
Sherratt provides a telling first-hand insight into what makes three-times British & Irish Lions tourist Faletau so special.
“I think the sign of any good sportsman – you watch the likes of a Roger Federer or a Lionel Messi – they have got time on the ball and Taulupe has got time on the ball,” he says.
“Everything he does looks pretty comfortable. If he’s jumping in the lineout, he looks smooth. If he’s passing, it looks easy. He’s got that rare commodity that I could only ever dream of, where the game kind of goes in slow motion a little bit for him.
“He’s one of the best players to play for Wales, a brilliant player.”
Someone who will be particularly relishing the opportunity to line up alongside Faletau is fellow Cardiff back row Mackenzie Martin.
“He was the player I looked up to most, 100 per cent,” reveals the 20-year-old.
“He was my idol. When I started watching Wales, he was the only black person I saw playing for them at the time.
“Obviously, as a mixed race person myself, that was a big factor. He basically inspired me and gave me hope.”
As such, there was to be a very special moment for Martin ahead of his URC debut against the DHL Stormers in November.
“Taulupe presented my shirt before the game. That was unreal,” he said.
“He just said ‘Go and enjoy it, play how you play’. That’s how he plays really, with the vibe, so that was the best advice he could give to me.”
Martin has made really rapid strides since then, breaking into the Wales squad and figuring off the bench in three of their Six Nations matches.
Having Faletau on hand back at Cardiff has clearly been a big help along the way.
“I’ve had a good few chats with him and he’s said if I need anything to let him know,” said Martin, who is among the replacements for the Ulster game.
Now the young man will be able to benefit from playing alongside the Welsh Rolls Royce.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments