Fijian Centres Clicking For Oz
The supersized centre pairing that Wallabies coach Michael Cheika discarded after a twoTest 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 on Tuesday, it was Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani in the yellowand-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 that 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 ball-player trying to create chances for them.
If the duo are selected for the Test in Cardiff on Sunday morning, the huge plus would be having Kurtley Beale as a second ball-player, roaming from fullback, to stimulate their involvement.
A healthy Bernard Foley has run at five-eighth all week, halfback Will Genia passed a morning fitness 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 alright,” Kuridrani said.-
Yeah, I really liked playing with Samu. I’ve seen how he has developed into an international player and hopefully we can get more games together and get the combination (going). It’s just defensively we’ve been working really hard, just me making sure that he’s alright Tevita Kuridrani Wallaby winger