Mosese Tuipulotu Anticipates ‘Emotional’ Debut Following Grandmother’s Surprise Visit

Mosese Tuipulotu, pictured alongside his brother Sione and grandmother Jaqueline Thomson, has stated that his inaugural match for Scotland will be “pretty emotional.” This sentiment follows a surprise visit from his grandmother, who traveled from Australia to support him and his brother Sione in their respective matches this weekend. Sione, a centre for Glasgow, is set to lead Scotland in their concluding Autumn Test match against Australia on Sunday. Meanwhile, Mosese is scheduled to make his international rugby debut for Scotland A against Chile on Saturday. The brothers were not informed that their grandmother, Jaqueline Thomson, had traveled from Australia specifically for these games. She subsequently surprised them at the national stadium earlier in the week. Mosese commented on the event, stating, “It was actually a massive surprise just because me and my brother didn’t know anything about it.” He added, “They did pretty well to keep it under wraps, but it was a pretty emotional one also just because when I left back home to say goodbye and move over here for rugby, you never quite know when you’re going to see your family again.” He concluded, “It was a very special moment just to see my gran again.” This month, Mosese has expressed enjoyment regarding his initial participation with the Scotland squad. He also acknowledged observing a different aspect of Sione’s character in his capacity as the national team captain. He elaborated, saying, “It’s quite strange just because, you know, he’s my brother.” He continued, “You’re so used to hanging out with him outside of rugby and mucking around with him, but I’ve seen kind of a different side of him in here.” Mosese further remarked, “Just the level of leadership he’s shown has been pretty huge. I guess I’ve kind of learned a bit off him both on and off the field on how to conduct yourself as a professional.”