Wallabies face reshuffle as attacking star opts out of tour

ISRAEL Folau’s shock decision to skip the Wallabies’ spring tour will create new roles for Kurtley Beale and Karmichael Hunt to show Australia can win without their No. 1 weapon.

Coach Michael Cheika yesterday revealed Folau would take a three- month break from rugby, declaring: “He’s been under the microscope every single day since he’s come to rugby. It’ll be a chance for him to get out of that for a moment and rest his body, rest his mind, take a well- earned breather.

“I think it will make him a better player when he comes back to Super Rugby next year and it will help us make sure we have good plans without him.

“It’s not a bombshell. It’s a positive with getting other players to take responsibility.”

Following Australia’s 23- 18 upset of New Zealand, Folau will play against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium on Saturday before bypassing the tour Tests against Japan, Wales, England and Scotland.

He has given up the $ 1 million- plus deal he could have brokered for an off- season in Japan on his flexible contract with the Australian Rugby Union.

Instead, it is more important for him to refresh and live some normal life, at 28, with his Auckland- based fiancee Maria Tutaia, the Kiwi netball star.

Folau has been a constant for the Wallabies in 62 Tests across five years, as well as going non- stop for the NSW Waratahs and as the code’s one- man promotional show.

It is a sign of the depth developed by Cheika that he has multiple replacement options after this surprise postscript to the 23- 18 defeat of the All Blacks on Saturday.

It opens a huge chance for Hunt, who was omitted from the Suncorp Stadium thriller to build fitness with 80 minutes for Brisbane City.

The shrewdest juggle for the tour may be to slot Hunt into inside centre, switch Beale to fullback and keep Reece Hodge, a third fullback option, on the wing.

Beale gave a glimpse in Brisbane of what might happen on Saturday night.

He had dropped back to second fullback for the kick, catch and dash that started the Wallabies’ 75m raid for the crucial Folau try on halftime.

However it is spun, there is a huge void because who else but Folau is going to run 15 times for 122m, bust nine tackles by the world champions and score his 12th Test try of a stellar year.

New faces Jack Dempsey, late kick- off catcher Lukhan Tui and tryscorer Marika Koroibete managed to excel under the pump against the All Blacks and Cheika’s plan to build depth shows in his squad for this Barbarians game, too.

He is resting a total of 13 frontliners for the tour, yet still has 21 Wallabies in a 28man squad.