Whitewash not all black for Wallabies
SAMU Kerevi’s explosive comeback has cured the outside centre crisis yet Michael Cheika’s erratic Wallabies have again proved they are masters of solving one problem only to be torpedoed by another.
Kerevi was a handful for the All Blacks in his 24-minute cameo in Yokohama on Saturday, showing more punch and direct running than in whole halves of rugby by the Wallabies this season.
Israel Folau was only nominally at No.13 in the 37-20 loss because winger Sefa Naivalu defended at outside centre, so it was a patchup job done well until Kerevi ran out any cobwebs after three months sidelined with injuries.
He showed none with seven runs for 34m, a pistonlike fend that rocked All Black Anton Lienert-Brown, five tackle busts and a onehanded off-load as good as any he’s thrown to put Folau over for a late try.
“Samu made a couple of really good line-breaks and carries for us and it’s probably something we’ve missed over the last couple of months,” Folau said. “It’s huge to have him back.”
A big Scott Sio run in midfield, Naivalu’s return, a much better Test from Marika Koroibete, one comeback run from flanker Jack Dempsey after a year out and Bernard Foley were positives to go with far better defence.
The defeat was still the ninth by a margin of 17 or more in the past 11 against our once-close rivals from New Zealand so don’t be swayed too much by the nuggets of good, sustained play and several sharp individual displays.
The only pass mark left to jolt Wallabies fans into believing the pain of this 3-7 season equates to progress is a clean sweep in Europe next month against Wales, Italy and England.
Cheika’s nemesis Eddie Jones will be waiting at Twickenham on November 24, with a 5-0 grin from past Tests against his mate and well-equipped to exploit the Wallabies’ major problem of ill-discipline.
Hooker Tolu Latu’s dumb yellow card for a chin-shove on All Black Codie Taylor exemplified the problem.
SAMU (KEREVI) MADE A COUPLE OF REALLY GOOD LINE-BREAKS ISRAEL FOLAU