The making of Justin Tipuric
VERY SUNDAY morning he asked me if he could play No 10 and every week I refused,” says Chris Penhale of his days coaching a 13-year-old Justin Tipuric at Trebanos RFC. “One week, when a few players didn’t turn up, we did start him at ten and he did a decent job – he’d do a better job now!” It’s a recurrent theme with Tipuric, how his skill-set wouldn’t be out of place in the backs, but it’s his work-rate up front that is helping Wales in their latest Six Nations Grand Slam bid – he was the top tackler as they lifted the Triple Crown with 55.
His modesty and humbleness are other common threads when talking to those who have been involved in his journey, as is his love of Trebanos. The blue scrum cap is worn in their honour while he has long coached various teams at the club, with chairman Penhale saying: “He
