Fullback Folau set for serious aerial assault

ISRAEL Folau says he will be playing fullback — nowhere else — in Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup opener against the All Blacks.

And the defiant Wallabies superstar is also vowing to attack the high ball with his customary vigour despite copping a contentious one-match ban earlier this year for a clumsy aerial challenge on Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika won’t name his starting side until tomorrow and has gone to great lengths to keep the All Blacks guessing, but Folau all but revealed he would be wearing the No.15 jumper in the series opener.

“Well, I’ve been training at fullback. I haven’t been training anywhere else so hopefully, yeah,” he said.

“But whatever decisions that ‘Cheik’ makes, it’s best for the team, but I don’t see myself playing any other position other than 15.”

Nor does Folau plan to tone down his aggressive aerial approach after receiving a one- game suspension for making mid-air contact with O’Mahony during Australia’s last Test match, a series-deciding 20-16 loss to Ireland in June. “I won’t modify anything,” Folau said.

“After the incident in June, going back to Super rugby, I approached the game the same way as any other game.

“For me, it doesn’t change anything. Going into the weekend, I’ll have the same mindset in attacking the ball in the air and obviously making good decisions around that.

“I believe my technique is fair play. I’ll attack the ball at every opportunity I get to try and win possession for the team,” the code-hopper added.