Kerevi centre of attention again
THE supersized centre pairing that Wallabies coach Michael Cheika discarded after a two Test experiment last year looks back in favour, with the likely inclusion of Samu Kerevi against Wales.
When the Wallabies started training under grey skies in the Welsh capital yesterday, it was Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani in the yellow-and-white “starters” jerseys that gave the best hint of Cheika’s likely team formation.
Cheika has changed course on gut instinct before but Kerevi’s form in Yokohama last weekend when he bullocked through the poor Japanese was the type of irresistible audition the coach likes to take heed of.
Pairing the power running of the excitable 104kg Kerevi with Kuridrani, the 102kg stalwart of 55 Tests, proved limited in two losses to England last year when Bernard Foley was the only ballplayer trying to create chances for them.
If the duo are selected for the Test in Cardiff on Sunday morning (Qld time), the huge plus would be having Kurtley Beale as a second ballplayer, roaming from fullback, to stimulate their involvement.
A healthy Foley has run at five-eighth all week, halfback Will Genia passed a morning fitness test on the calf strain that ruled him out in Japan and utility Karmichael Hunt may just be squeezed out by too many form backs.
For Kuridrani, the idea of pairing with good mate Kerevi again gets a big tick after they shared five tries against Japan.
“Yeah, I really liked playing with Samu,” Kuridrani said.
“I’ve seen how he has developed into an international player and hopefully we can get more games together and get the combination (going).”
The extra confidence to the once-shy Kuridrani now extends to working with Kerevi to improve his defence.
“It’s just defensively we’ve been working really hard, just me making sure that he’s all right,” Kuridrani said.
Kuridrani will have his own hands full marking Welsh outside centre Jonathan Davies, one of the standouts from this year’s British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
“He’s very world-class,” Kuridrani said.
The rush defence of the Lions stifled the All Blacks and coach Warren Gatland would be crazy not to try the same to disrupt a Wallabies attack that has scored 51 tries in 11 Tests this season.