Michael Hooper backs Tolu Latu to keep his cool

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper is backing Tolu Latu to keep his discipline in check when they face the All Blacks in Perth on Saturday. 

Latu appeared to be baited into a yellow card by the world champions in their last clash in Yokohama but Hooper says he’s not worried about the front-rower losing his cool again.

The 26-year-old has been called into the starting side to take on the Kiwis in the opening Bledisloe Cup clash and the fiery hooker’s discipline will be under as much scrutiny as his set-piece work and general play.

In that clash with the All Blacks in Yokohama in October last year, Latu was sin-binned after reacting to rival hooker Codie Taylor pushing him in the chest after a scrum win.

Latu shoved Taylor back in the face, which saw the Waratahs hooker sin-binned and New Zealand scored soon after to seal a 37-20 win.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen labelled Latu’s reaction as “dumb” post-game.

It was likely the All Blacks deliberately baited Latu into the brain-snap given his problems with discipline in the past, which had also seen the hooker yellow carded for punching Argentinian second-rower Santiago Garcia Botta in the preceding Test.

Asked if he was concerned the All Blacks could bait Latu, Hooper said: “I don’t know if they are going to employ that tactic.

“We talked about that at the time. It was just a product of that game in particular.

“Tolu has grown as a player and as a person a lot in the last 12 months, and he is playing really good rugby. That usually takes away from the other stuff.”

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Latu’s off-field discipline has been in the spotlight too, however, with the 26-year-old convicted of drink-driving in June, for which he was fined and suspended by Rugby Australia.

As the coach who signed Latu to the Waratahs, Michael Cheika is a loyal backer and, after giving him a chance in Brisbane against Argentina off the bench, Latu performed well in the scrum and showed discipline.

Cheika pointed to his obedience when called off the ball by the referee in Brisbane and Hooper echoed the coach’s sentiments.

“I have been impressed with the direction he has taken over the last couple of games,” he added.

“In game and in training, he has been showing all the right things. His ears are on, listening to the referee calls and he has been making the right decisions every time he has come on the field for this international season.

“It’s about creating more than that, particularly tomorrow night, he’s so good in that area. That’s why I guess he got the start.”