Brisbane Tens: Israel Folau to play more than a cameo role for Waratahs, insists coach Daryl Gibson
WARATAHS coach Daryl Gibson will not wrap Israel Folau in cotton wool when the Wallabies star makes his return to action in the Brisbane Tens.
WARATAHS coach Daryl Gibson says he has no intention of keeping Israel Folau wrapped in cotton wool when the Wallabies star makes his return to action in the Brisbane Tens.
Gibson revealed his plan for Folau after the NSW side were given a rude awakening about the intricacies of playing 10-a-side rugby during a humbling opposed training session against Samoa.
He said the Samoan team “rang rings around us” when the two sides met in a practice match in Sydney on Wednesday, giving the chastened Tahs a late but valuable insight into how to approach the Brisbane Tens.
“They have been training for five months as a Tens team, so we learned a lot,” Gibson said.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a format positioned between sevens and 15s rugby, tens can be played in a number of ways but the Samoans’ pacy approach caught the Waratahs out, said Gibson.
“They played with great width and great pace, and used the space really well,” he said.
“They were just far more organised and knew the little nuances of the game. We learned a great deal.
“It made us consider the ways you can play tens. They were obviously adopting a very sevens approach, in a very speed-orientated game. You can play a more set-piece, territory-type game and pick accordingly.
“We learned a great deal from them. We traded information at the end and they talked about not contesting the breakdown, just having one man at the tackle and everyone else staying spread. That was interesting. Do you employ a sweeper or keep everyone up in the line? How you use your men in attack and how you organise them. All those things.”
Folau is the highest profile star in the tournament and as a paid ambassador is contractually obliged to play in the Brisbane Tens.
Gibson said there was no contractual requirements for how much Folau plays but he added he had no plans to give him cameo appearance only.
“We are pretty keen to get Israel going,” Gibson said.
“We are obviously mindful that he’s still only in his fourth week of training but he’s looked very good in training and he is obviously very keen to get out there and play. I definitely think if we go beyond the pool stages he would be very keen to be involved in the finals.”
The Waratahs play the Panasonic Wild Knights from Japan and the Chiefs on Saturday, and finish their pool games by playing the Rebels on Sunday morning.
The top teams from each pool qualify for the quarter-finals.
Originally published as Brisbane Tens: Israel Folau to play more than a cameo role for Waratahs, insists coach Daryl Gibson