Now the Glasgow centre is preparing for a return to his home city of Melbourne for the second Test with the Wallabies on Saturday.
Tuipulotu started his career at Melbourne Rebels but moved abroad after being unable to secure a regular starting spot.
There was an initial move to Japan but in 2021 he moved to Glasgow Warriors and opted to represent Scotland, who he is eligible to play for through his grandmother - now known as the "Greenock Granny".
"If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal," Tuipulotu said.
"There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all.
"I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple.
"I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today.
"Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful."