The 22-year-old learned today he faced the ominous task of containing Crusaders strike weapon Sonny Bill Williams in Sunday's Super rugby blockbuster in Brisbane, a round 15 match brimming with All Blacks and Wallabies test stars.
Tapuai is an obvious exception in a Queensland Reds backline organised by Will Genia, ignited by Quade Cooper and complemented by the broken field running of Digby Ioane.
He had been expecting to play only a peripheral role this season as a member of the academy squad but when North Harbour import Mike Harris succumbed to a knee injury against the Rebels on May 6, coach Ewen McKenzie turned to Tapuai to shore up the Reds defensive line at second five-eighth.
Tapuai was relaxing at home when told Williams had been restored to the Crusaders starting 15 after missing last weekend's victory over the Chiefs due to a bruised knee, and was hardly taken by surprise.
A former Australian under-20 representative, Tapuai has been fortifying himself for a head-on collision with Williams since Harris underwent minor surgery.
The Reds bye week has been no holiday for Tapuai as he and midfield partner Anthony Faingaa plan to combat Williams and Robbie Fruean.
Size-wise it shapes as a mismatch with Williams 13kg heavier and 11cm taller than Tapuai, and Fruean also overshadows Faingaa, but the Reds duo have been encouraged by the success of two of the Crusaders earlier opponents.
Dwayne Sweeney and Richard Kahui kept the Crusaders combo quiet when the Chiefs played in Hamilton on April 15; the Cheetahs midfield of Corne Uys and Robert Ebersohn also gang tackled Williams out of the seven-time champion's surprise loss in Bloemfontein a month later.
"Watching those games showed what we have to do," Tapuai told NZPA.
"They got up with their line speed, got up in their face."
While the hype generated by Williams has been inescapable since he signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union last year, Tapuai was trying to keep things in perspective ahead of the biggest game of his eight-match Reds career.
"We know he loves the offload and we have to try and stop that but you can't focus on one player," he said.
"The main thing is we've got to stop their momentum and that starts with the forwards."
Tapuai made his Reds debut in Christchurch towards the end of the 2009 season when the injury-ravaged Queenslanders were beaten 32-12 and he scored a consolation try with his first touch after coming off the reserves bench is the final quarter.
He also made a handful of appearances last season but has generally been confined to club football with Sunnybank and training with the senior Reds squad.
That time on the training paddock has proved invaluable as he slots into the competition leaders' campaign at a critical moment.
If the Crusaders are beaten the Reds appear on track to qualify top for the playoffs with games against Brumbies, Western Force and Chiefs to follow.
Tapuai started outside Harris at centre against the Rebels and ran on at second five-eighth a week later against the Blues, his preferred position alongside the enigmatic Cooper.
"Sometimes it's hard," he said when describing life outside the Wallabies playmaker.
"You don't always know what he's going to do, that's just Quade."
Tapuai and Cooper were in the same state and national age group sides while two years in the Reds environment has also given the rookie some insight on what to expect from the pivot.
"The academy guys train with the (senior) squad so everyone knows the moves if someone gets injured," he said.
"It's been a massive step up though they (Genia/Cooper/Faingaa) make it pretty easy.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's not every day you get to face a backline like this."
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