Lalakai Foketi set to join the Chiefs, following successful James O’Connor stint at Crusaders
New Zealand has poached yet another Wallaby, who will follow in James O’Connor’s steps in pursuit of a title, as a surprise name emerged as the next Wallabies lineout coach.
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New Zealand has poached yet another Wallaby, with Lalakai Foketi set to sign with the Chiefs for next season.
After James O’Connor’s premiership win with the Crusaders this year, the looming defection of Foketi is another sign that players see opportunities for development on the other side of the Tasman.
Saturday night’s match between NSW and the British & Irish Lions is now set to be an unofficial farewell for Foketi in Waratahs colours.
The 30-year-old, who has played eight Tests for Australia, will join a star-studded backline featuring All Blacks Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima and Quinn Tupaea.
The Chiefs lost to O’Connor’s Crusaders in the grand final a fortnight ago, the third year in succession they’ve finished runners-up, and will be looking to claim their first title since 2013 next year, with Foketi’s experience sure to be relied upon.
Foketi was born in Hamilton, so it will be somewhat of a homecoming for him.
He was overlooked by Joe Schmidt for the Wallabies’ squad for the British & Irish Lions series, but could be considered if there are major injuries
FORMER ALL BLACK TO JOIN WALLABIES STAFF
Former All Black Tom Donnelly is set to replace Geoff Parling as the Wallabies’ lineout coach following the Lions series.
Parling is off to Leicester Tigers, and it’s understood 15-Test lock Donnelly will leave his role as forwards coach of Western Force to join the Australian set-up for The Rugby Championship and beyond.
Reds assistant Zane Hilton remains in the mix to join the Wallabies’ set-up as a forwards coach, with scrum guru Mike Cron tipped to step down after the Lions series.
Hilton’s close working relationship at Queensland with Les Kiss, who will take over as Wallabies coach next year, helps the transition.
KOROIBETE ADDS FIRE TO AUNZ XV
The AUNZ Invitational team is taking on formidable shape after three star Wallabies were named, including Marika Koroibete.
The two-time John Eales Medal winner is joined by returning backrower Pete Samu, and Western Force hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
But former Wallabies bulldozer Samu Kerevi has not been selected, apparently due to complicated insurance costs that Rugby Australia couldn’t overcome.
Rugby Confidential understands exciting Blues centre AJ Lam will be the next Kiwi confirmed for the side, joining David Havili, Shannon Frizell, Ngani Laumape, Shaun Stevenson, Folau Fakatava, and Joshua Fusitu’a.
Koroibete, who has played in Japan for Panasonic Wild Knights for the past four years, was seen as an outside chance for the Lions Tests and had conversations with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.
Should there be a raft of injuries the 32-year-old will re-enter calculations, though Schmidt will be fairly with his options right now, including Max Jorgensen, Harry Potter, Andrew Kellaway, Filipo Daugunu, Dylan Pietsch and Corey Toole.
Samu’s inclusion certainly elevates the potential for him to be involved in the Lions Test series, following his stellar season for French club Bordeaux who just won the Champions Cup.
The 33-year-old’s versatility in the backrow and ability of offload in contact makes him the type of game-breaking option Schmidt would consider off the bench.
Paenga-Amosa has already played the Lions on this tour for the Force, and after scrummaging well against them in the first half, cannot be discounted for a role in the Test matches.
Coached by Les Kiss, the AUNZ squad will gather in Adelaide this weekend to begin preparations for the game against the Lions on July 12.
DEEP LIONS BOND RECOGNISED
THE deep bond between Australian rugby and the British & Irish Lions will be recognised with a special wreath laying ceremony on Sunday at the burial site of the Lions’ first captain, who died while in Australia in the late 1800s.
Robert Seddon is not a name that all rugby fans will have heard of but he’s an important albeit tragic figure linking the Wallabies with the famous Lions.
The Englishman was appointed captain of the first Lions team that toured Australia and New Zealand in 1888, but he met a grisly end when the team stopped off in Maitland in New South Wales.
A few of the players decided to go for a row on the river, borrowing some boats from the locals, when the unspeakable tragedy occurred.
“Robert Seddon had grabbed an outrigger and was rowing along when it capsized and he was thrown from the boat and unfortunately drowned, even though he was a good swimmer,” Maitland Rugby Club president Pat Howard told Rugby Confidential.
Maitland had been buzzing with the arrival of the Lions but sudden death of its captain sent the town into mourning. A proud leader of the Lions, he was wearing his team jersey when he drowned.
“The town really rallied together. His funeral service was actually the day after he passed away,” Howard said.
“The funeral was held at St Paul’s Anglican church in south Maitland and from there he was taken up to Campbells Hill Cemetery where he was laid to rest.
“Maitland pretty much shut down during that time. All the shops shut and there were reportedly between 2,000-3,000 people lining the streets.”
The Maitland Rugby Club took on the responsibility of looking after Seddon’s gravesite and headstone and still does, almost 137 years since his death.
With the Lions currently in Australia, team officials and Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh will each lay bouquets at the grave site after the Lions play the Waratahs in Sydney and before the Wallabies meet Fiji in Newcastle.
“It’s been passed down through history. There’s always been someone from the rugby community looking after the grave and the headstone,” Howard said.
“We started planning something months in advance.
“I originally touched base with Phil Waugh late last year just to put it back in front of them and they’ve grabbed it with both hands, putting me in touch with the right people at the Lions.
“They have all really taken a shine to it, they see the significance of it as well so have made a lot of effort.”
LIONS STILL UNIMPRESSED
Despite romping to two landslide wins against the Western Force and Queensland Reds, the Lions have let Rugby Australia know they have not been impressed by the weakened strength of their opponents, bemoaning the fact a lot of the Wallabies are missing from their state teams.
But the Lions are not alone. New Zealand is also fuming at the French for selecting a heavily depleted squad to tackle the All Blacks, that included 20 uncapped players and 11 that don’t even have a Wikipedia page.
Former All Blacks halfback Justin Marshall was livid, saying: “In my mind, it’s complete BS the way that they’re treating this tour, the way that the French always seem to have come up with excuses to not bring their top players, I feel they disrespect the international window”.
The current All Blacks were a little more diplomatic in their response after naming four debutants of their own for this weekend’s opening Test in Dunedin.
PARKS IS A STAR
Our Rugby Confidential spies were impressed when former Scotland playmaker Dan Parks turned up for a charity event in Sydney’s east this week.
Parks got up on stage at the Charing Cross Hotel and shared several stories from his lengthy career, while supporting the Lions on the big screen as they trounced Queensland Reds on Wednesday night.
He appeared as a guest to raise funds for St Charles Primary School in Waverley.
Parks, who played 67 Tests for the Scots before settling in Sydney, recalled the time he floated the idea of playing for the Wallabies at a café with then coach Eddie Jones, who shut the idea down before the coffee arrived at their table.
Parks also spoke highly of current Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, who was a great mentor for him.
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