Koroibete happy to repay Australia
While his Wallabies team-mates describe him as a ‘‘freak’’ and his coach says he’s never seen a winger like him, Marika Koroibete says he’s just repaying Australia for all it has given his family.
The Australians clinched a 25-17 victory over South Africa at Adelaide Oval on Saturday to keep alive their chances of winning the Rugby Championship.
Man of the match Koroibete was integral, the Fijian flier mobbed by his Wallabies team-mates after pulling off a massive hit that stopped a certain Springboks try.
He then scored early in the second half to help the home side to the rousing win.
With fellow wing Tom
Wright in the sin bin, the
Australians were under heavy fire late in the first half and South
Africa spread the ball wide to
Makazole
Mapimpi.
As he charged to the line Koroibete sprinted 40 metres from his own wing and smashed Mapimpi, who spilt the ball as he flew through the air.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said the former NRL star, who has now played 48 tests, always gave his all to the team.
‘‘He’s incredible and what you see on Saturdays is what you see every day at training — he is just full on,’’ Rennie said.
Koroibete grew up on a remote family farm in Fiji and moved to Australia to play league in 2011.
He switched to rugby in 2017 and three years later won the John Eales Medal as Australia’s best player.
Shifting his career to Japan this year, Koroibete had to rely on being one of three overseas player picks, which he described as a privilege.
And Koroibete said he wanted to repay his adopted country.
‘‘As a kid growing up in Fiji and come over to Australia, it’s given a lot to me and my family,’’ he said.
‘‘Just to give back to the country after what it’s done for me and my family. It’s for my team-mates and the coaching staff.’’