Welsh starlet Carwyn Tuipulotu was left with a permanent reminder of his home debut for his new club as he sustained a nasty gash across the side of his head.
The former Scarlets back rower left Wales to sign for Top 14 side Pau as a medical joker earlier this month and got his first taste of playing in front of the home crowd at the Stade du Hameau over the weekend.
However, while he helped his side to a 23-6 win during his 55 minutes on the pitch, not everything went to plan for Tuipulotu as he was left requiring medical attention after sustaining the gash on the side of his head. The injury also saw him don a scrum cap for the first time before he had the wound stapled up off the field.
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Taking to X, the 23-year-old shared three photos of him in action during the match as well as a video of the staples being applied. He wrote: "Unreal feeling to get the first win and to experience the home crowd for the first time.
"Also first time wearing a scrum cap - learnt my lesson of never going high again!," he added, alongside a 'facepalm' emoji.
Unreal feeling to get the first win and to experience the home crowd for the first time.
Also first time wearing a scrum cap learnt my lesson of never going high again (last slide)#G2G pic.twitter.com/IxewdMWgyb
— Carwyn Tuipulotu (@CarwynTuipulotu) February 23, 2025
Tuipulotu will remain at Pau for the rest of the season, having moved to the French side following a two-week spell with English giants Saracens. While the 6ft 2in forward made 48 appearances for the Scarlets since making his senior debut in 2020, he found his minutes limited this season, featuring on the bench just three times for Dwayne Peel's side.
The former Wales U20s international has previously been tipped for a bright future in the Welsh game, with Warren Gatland having discussing the uncapped No. 8 prior to naming his World Cup training squad in 2023. However, he is still yet to feature in a senior Wales squad.
On leaving the Scarlets, Tuipulotu said: "“Firstly I would like to say that I’m very grateful to the coaches and the club for the past four years and for an opportunity to start my professional career. As a kid coming straight out of school, I never would have dreamt of the memories I’ve made here at Parc y Scarlets alongside meeting some incredible people during my time here.
“I would also like to thank the S&C (Strength and Conditioning) and medical staff for their hard work behind the scenes helping me along with my injuries and fitness to get me back on the field.
"I’d also like to say thank you to the Scarlets fans for the incredible support that you have in our team, supporting us through thick and thin. The atmosphere we had in the European quarter-final against Clermont will be something I will never forget!
“Finally, I just want to give the Thanks & Glory to God for the blessings and opportunities at this club," he added. "I’m grateful for the love and support I’ve received from the management team and staff, fellow team-mates and the supporters, and for all the lessons and growth it has brought me over the years, I wish Scarlets nothing but success in the future. Diolch.”
