Volkswacht Bodensee - Aussie prop Tupou hopes Racing move will bring smile back

The 29-year-old, who has signed until 2028, said he had been struggling with mental health issues brought on by the pressure of international rugby.

Couple with a loss of form, it resulted in the 59-time capped prop not being offered a new contract by Rugby Australia.

"There is still a lot of work to do before that smile is back," he told The Times after propping down for the NSW Waratahs in their 21-10 loss to the touring British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

"It's only fair that they (Australia) look for someone else who can do the job because at the moment, I can't do it.

"At the end of the day, it's business. Sometimes you've just got to look out for your family and that's what I’m doing."

The Tongan-born Tupou, who was schooled in New Zealand and qualified for the Wallabies through residency, showed a flash of his humour when he revealed he had spoken to Owen Farrell before deciding to join Racing.

Former England fly-half Farrell left Racing to rejoin his old Premiership club Saracens in June after an underwhelming one season stay in the French capital.

"I asked him if he had left all the money at Racing for me," said the tighthead who will fill the gap left by Thomas Laclayat, who joined Pau.

Racing limped to 10th place in last season's Top 14 -- head coach Stuart Lancaster was fired before the end of the campaign -- and subsequently lost Farrell and scrum half Nolann Le Garrec.

Aside from Tupou, Racing notably brought in England international forwards Jonny Hill and Nathan Hughes.

Hill, 31, played 20 times for England while the 34-year-old Hughes has 22 caps.

Leo Carbonneau, a 20-year-old France under-20 international and the son of two-time Five Nations Grand Slam-winning scrum-half Philippe, comes in from Brive to replace Le Garrec, who has joined La Rochelle.

Argentinian Geronimo Prisciantelli joins from Italian club Zebre in place of Farrell.

Wingers Wilfried Hulleu, from Grenoble, and Selestino Ravutaumada fom Fijian Drua, locks Thomas Lainault, also from Grenoble, Lekima Tagitagivalu from Pau, and centre Joey Manu, a New Zealander who was playing in Japan, complete the recruitment.

Racing have also recruited former France hooker Olivier Azam as forwards coach.

M.Vogt--VB