Latu aims to make most of second chance

Young Australian hooker Tolu Latu admits he was shocked when he received the news that he will be in the Wallabies squad to meet the Springboks in the Test match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

And now given his chance, Latu is determined to repay the faith put in him by coach Michael Cheika.

The 23-year-old hooker concedes he had an average run with the Waratahs this season, playing only four games in total, and said he was shocked to be picked ahead of Reds hooker Andrew Ready.

“Pretty surprising after the season Andrew Ready had with the Reds, so yeah, pretty surprising to get the call-up,” he said.

“Hopefully the second time around lasts a bit longer than what I did last time.”

Latu was selected for the Wallabies squad two years ago, but a broken arm put his prospects of a debut on hold.

“To be honest that was my first camp, that was my first year of professional rugby,” he said.

“I was pretty fresh and didn’t really back myself to do a lot of things, and I was just happy to be there.”

Confident he’s improved since his last stint with the Wallabies, Latu’s ready and keen to develop his skills alongside captain Stephen Moore and James Hanson.

“I’m still learning the game, so I’m still learning stuff that I can work on,” he said.

“My set-piece has got a little bit better but yeah, there’s still a lot to learn for me, and hopefully I can learn from the other two hookers that are on tour too.”

While Latu had a short season with the Waratahs due to injury, he has obviously caught Cheika’s eye with his physical performance in the NRC for the NSW Country Eagles.

“He (Cheika) was just telling me that he was willing to take me onboard if I believed that I was ready. He just gave me good news,” he said.

“I’m just trying to play consistent rugby. Trying to use that competition to kickstart my preseason for the Tahs, and it’s got me here so I’m pretty stoked.” – ANA