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Wallabies bad boy Latu might not return to Australia
By Ian Cameron
Wallabies bad boy Tolu Latu might not be set for a return to rugby in Australia, contrary to reports in the French press this week.
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Latu is set to leave Stade Francais this season under a cloud. The hooker has endured a spate of red cards and is reportedly fighting demons off the pitch.
His most recent on-field indiscretion – a red card against Racing 92 in the Heineken Champions Cup – saw him banned for 11 weeks, ending his season with the Parisian side prematurely.
It came just months after he was red-carded for using expletives with referee Wayne Barnes in the same competition.
It lead Stade Francais owner Hans Wilder to openly suggest he no longer wanted Latu at the club and to state the Australian’s issues with alcohol had to be addressed.
“Latu is a problem,” Wilder said. “Above all, Latu has an extra-sports problem with alcohol. You have to recognise it, otherwise you will never solve the problem.
“He spends more time off the pitch. Moreover, vis-a-vis young people, it’s not a good example. He needs to heal, reorganise his life. We can help him but as with any addiction, Latu is like an elephant in your living room. To solve the problem, you have to take out the elephant and not take out the broken objects.”
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This week the French press reported that the frontrower was headed back to Australia and his former Super Rugby club, the Waratahs.
Yet reports down under claim no such move is on the cards, not yet anyway.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald’s Cauliflower report, the Waratahs haven’t opened up communication with Latu, a fact confirmed by Latu’s management.
There’s also a suggestion that the 29-year-old is not fancied more broadly by Rugby Australia, as he’s seen a potential Rugby World Cup liability.
Executive Director of Rugby Australia’s 2027 World Cup bid, Phil Kearns, poured cold water on the idea of Latu’s returning to the Wallabies set-up.
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“That’s a massive risk for your tournament, isn’t it [Latu’s discipline]. You go in with a guy that’s going to get red-carded and you lose him for the rest of the tournament,” said Kearns earlier this month.
“Tolu’s a really good player, but he has been warned about tackling techniques and a number of other things throughout his career. How many chances do you give a guy to get that piece right? It’s a massive risk, going with him.”
No doubt Latu will find a new club given his talent, but the question is who is prepared to take the risk and the off-field baggage that comes with him.
