Stephen Donald hails impact of All Blacks star and how he’s ‘turned into a very clever footballer’ since lengthy injury lay-off
All Blacks and Chiefs centre Quinn Tupaea and ex-New Zealand fly-half Stephen Donald (inset).
Stephen Donald has praised All Blacks centre Quinn Tupaea’s superb form for the Chiefs during their fine start to the Super Rugby Pacific season.
After eight rounds of action in the famous southern hemisphere tournament, the Chiefs occupy third position in the standings – behind the Hurricanes and Blues – and notched an impressive 42-14 victory over the Waratahs in Hamilton on Saturday.
Tupaea was one of the Chiefs‘ star performers as he delivered an excellent attacking performance and crossed for two tries after gaining 51 metres from 12 runs which included one clean break and three defenders beaten.
The 26-year-old has been in great form since last year when he also shone for the men from Hamilton at Super Rugby level as well as the All Blacks in the Test arena.
And former New Zealand fly-half Donald believes the time Tupaea spent on the sidelines due to injury helped him to become an improved player.
Sidelined for the entire 2023 season
Tupaea was sidelined for the entire 2023 season due to a serious Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury sustained after an illegal clear-out from Wallabies lock Darcy Swain in a Bledisloe Cup Test in Melbourne in 2022.
Tupaea’s injury meant he took no part in the Chiefs’ 2023 Super Rugby Pacific campaign and also ruled him out of the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup campaign in France where they finished as runners-up to arch rivals the Springboks that year.
“I hate to go back to something we said a couple of weeks ago, but these guys are evolving age-wise and still their body allows it,” Donald told The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav.
“And then Quinn, you think about injury free Quinn hasn’t had many years of just continuous footy.”
The show’s host Kirstie Stanway-Thorne then said that several players who suffer serious knee injuries tend to break down again but with Tupaea it’s the opposite with him looking stronger than ever since he’s returned to action.
Donald agreed and said Tupaea has come back stronger after that injury and feels that being sidelined for so long has given the player plenty of time to think about his game which has certainly helped him to improve.
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“Well, they often say the strongest part of your knee is your quads. And so he’s lucky he’s got a good set of quads on him, but yeah, absolutely,” he said.
‘It gives you time to reflect’
“Was it a good thing? I mean, no one’s ever going to tell you that sitting out a year was a good thing. However, I get the sentiment and I get the concept that it gives you time to reflect. It gives you time to actually look at things from a different lens.
“I never had too many long injuries, but a couple when I was out for about three months, you do start looking at things differently and start looking at your own game differently.
“And there’s no doubt he’s got strings to his bow now that we didn’t think he would have had pre-injury, like the touches, the kicking, the pace.
“So, would he be at this point earlier? Maybe, maybe not, but I just think he’s turned into a leader.
“He’s turned into a very clever footballer. It’s easy to just to put Quinn in there because he’s so powerful and such a big presence that he’s just a battering ram sort of midfielder. He’s not.
“He’s got the subtle touches.”
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