Matthew Poutoa To'omua

Matt To’omua was a highly astute inside back, one who seemed to enjoy the benefit of time and space, who developed into a fine leader and a 50-cap Wallaby.

A schoolboy No.10 rival of both Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper, To’omua, much like his fellow future Wallabies, was branded a star prospect. Equally comfortable at inside centre, To’omua captained Queensland II to the 2006 Australian Schoolboys title when Cooper was the Queensland I fly half. To’omua played opposite Beale in the semi-finals where he orchestrated a massive upset of NSW I before his side went on to beat NSW II in the final. He represented Australian Schools and later twice won selection for the U20s World Championships.

To’omua’s rapid rise stalled somewhat as he dealt with the tragic passing of close friend and fellow Brumby Shawn Mackay. A short spell in South Africa’s Currie Cup with Western Province proved to be a much-needed tonic and it was his performances in that competition that saw him picked in the Wallabies’ 2009 end-of-season Spring Tour squad. Unfortunately, his first taste of national honours ended disastrously and quickly, after less than two minutes, when he broke his jaw in the uncapped midweek clash with the Cardiff Blues.

A combination of injury and form saw him struggle to win game time at the Brumbies and it was not until 2012 under Jake White that enjoyed regular gametime. To’omua finally realised his potential in 2013 when new national coach Ewen McKenzie picked him for the opening Test against New Zealand.

To’omua won a place in the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad however he then made the decision to join the Leicester Tigers on a three-year deal that looked likely to bring down the curtain on his Wallaby career. Fortunately, for Australian rugby, he returned home following the series loss to Ireland in 2018, reclaimed his spot in the match day squad and finished the year as the incumbent Wallaby fly half.

In 2019 he linked up with the Melbourne Rebels and was deservedly selected to a second Rugby World Cup. To’omua battled groin, neck and concussion issues over the following two seasons before he moved to Japan in 2023 to play for the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Matt To’omua played 59 Tests in a nine-year international career.

Highlights

2007 Represented Australian Schools against England U18s, Samoan Schools and New Zealand Schools.

2009 Selected in the Australian U20s squad for the second-annual IRB Junior World Championship tournament in Japan.

2010 Selected in the Australian U20s squad for the third-annual IRB Junior World Championship tournament in Argentina.

2013 To’omua won his debut Test cap as a starting No.10 in the 1st Test, 29-47 loss to New Zealand in Sydney. He went on to play in the next nine internationals before a hamstring injury ended his season at the halfway mark of the end-of-season Spring Tour.

2014 To’omua started at No.12 in each of the first 10 Tests however two nasty head-knocks in successive weeks against South Africa and Argentina saw him miss the first two matches of the Spring Tour.

2015 He earned a further 10 caps although seven of them came off the bench as one of national coach Michael Cheika’s “finishers”. To’omua was selected to his first Rugby World Cup and played in six of the team’s seven matches.

2016 To’omua won two caps, the first as the run-on inside centre in the 3rd Test against England and the second off the bench in the 1st Test against New Zealand.

2018 He earned a total of nine caps - including three as the starting inside centre and two as the run-on fly half - from the Wallabies final 10 Tests.

2019 To’omua was one of just four Wallabies to be capped in all 10 internationals, including the four pool and one final matches of his second Rugby World Cup. He won a 50th Test cap in the pool match victory over Uruguay in Oita.

2020 He began the COVID-shortened season as the starting Wallaby inside centre however a groin tear in the second Test against New Zealand saw him miss the two home internationals with the All Blacks and both Argentine fixtures.

2021 To’omua played all three home Tests against France and the first two Tests against New Zealand before the return of Samu Kerevi saw him left out of the match day squad for the remainder of The Rugby Championship. He was then ruled out of the Spring Tour due to ongoing concussion symptoms after suffering a head knock during a full-contact, training hit-out between a Wallabies ‘B’ team and the Western Force prior to the third Bledisloe game.