Christian Lealiifano in Wallabies World Cup frame after brilliant Super Rugby form
He’s fought off cancer, now this Brumbies star is on the verge of the most remarkable Test return.
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One of the great sporting comeback stories is unfolding in Australian rugby, with cancer survivor Christian Lealiifano called into the Wallabies training squad for the first time in three years.
Lealiifano has steered the Brumbies to the top of the Australian Super Rugby conference and his sterling form has been rewarded with a call from Wallabies coach Michael Cheika for the camp in Brisbane on Sunday.
Lealiifano last played for Australia on June 25, 2016 against England. During that series, he’d complained of feeling unwell, being extremely fatigued and experiencing burning sensations in his hands and feet.
He got through the remainder of the Super Rugby season, but in August was diagnosed with leukaemia, and commenced chemotherapy immediately.
Most believed his playing career was finished, but the courageous playmaker overcame all odds to return in 2017, playing for Ulster, then returning to the Brumbies last season.
Lealiifano was still overlooked for national duties as Cheika preferred Bernard Foley, Matt Toomua and Kurtley Beale as his playmakers, but now he is in the running for a shot at the World Cup in Japan.
Toomua, Foley and Quade Cooper will also attend the camp, which means Cheika is weighing up his No. 10 from those four options, with Beale likely to considered as a fullback or inside centre.
Melbourne’s Bill Meakes has missed the training camp, as have strong-performing Brumbies backrowers Lachlan McCaffrey and Pete Samu, but teammate Rob Valetini has been invited.
Injured speedster Jordan Petaia will also attend the camp, along with Queenslander Chris Feauai-Sautia.
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Israel Folau’s former AFL team might have dodged a bullet during the code hopper’s brief time in the game.
Greater Western Sydney chief executive David Matthews said Folau didn’t cause any trouble when he was with the Giants but he would certainly have found himself at odds with the club had he posted divisive comments on his social media accounts.
“When Israel was at the Giants he didn’t pose any problems to us whatsoever, we found him to be a very respectful, humble young man in the time he was with us,” Matthews said.
“But clearly some of the things he’s put out in the public domain are things that wouldn’t fit with the values of the Giants.
“You’re never really sure what beliefs people within your organisation hold. And some of those things only become apparent when people are prepared to be public about it. In this case it’s social media.
“Clearly it’s something that any employee needs to be careful about in terms of what their personal beliefs are compared to the beliefs or the values of the organisation.”
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THE film crew spotted around Brisbane this week is not just shooting any old superhero movie … it’s a film on rugby supercoach Eddie Jones.
True.
We’re unsure what the working title is.
It could be “Eddie Jones’s Diary” but if there is room for a 2007 flashback to his time with the Queensland Reds it will be “Eddie Jones and the Temple of Doom.”
It is a life story of sorts because we spotted extras wearing Japanese 2015 World Cup jerseys for an action sequence on the back field at Ballymore.
That can only be a recreation of Jones’s epic overthrow of the Springboks when Japan coach at the 2015 tournament.
We caught Brendan Magee in make-up to work as an extra in an old Randwick jersey for a 1980s scene from Eddie’s club days in Sydney.
“I knew the ‘80s mo would come back into fashion,” the Beaudesert Warriors lock said.
There was no sighting of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika playing a bit part as himself in any of his six Test losses to Jones’ England teams. Cutting room floor. Ouch.
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Not many of his Reds teammates even know that new fullback Matt McGahan’s last Super Rugby appearance at Suncorp Stadium produced one of the code’s most overplayed dives.
It was back in 2016 when the replacement Blues flyhalf chased through a kick and collapsed as if felled by a sniper to milk a penalty.
The bump with Reds centre Samu Kerevi would not have bruised a fairy’s wing yet McGahan acted it out as if he’d collided with a rhino.
The son of former Kiwi and Roosters NRL legend Hugh McGahan will team with Kerevi on Saturday night as the Reds strive to end an inglorious 10-game losing streak against the Waratahs.
Originally published as Christian Lealiifano in Wallabies World Cup frame after brilliant Super Rugby form
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