Rugby Confidential: Israel Folau’s Test comeback, Wallabies’ 2023 Rugby World Cup plans

Israel Folau is back on the Test rugby scene and is set for a showdown against Australia, while there could be a radical change to the British & Irish Lions tour.

Waratah up-end a Lion. Picture:

Israel Folau is moving closer to an international return, with the former Wallaby set to make his debut for Tonga in July.

What’s more, the dual international could face Australia A on July 16 – the same day the Wallabies play England in Sydney – after Rugby Australia had its second side included in an expanded Pacific Nations Cup.

Whether Folau lines up against Australia A remains to be seen, with Tonga coach and former World Cup-winning Wallaby Toutai Kefu telling News Corp he would “rotate” his men but the 33-year-old was “definitely in the squad”.

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Former Wallaby Israel Folau will play for Tonga in the Pacific Nations Cup. Picture: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File

Tonga, as well as fellow tier-three nations like Samoa, have had a major shot in the arm after World Rugby tweaked its eligibility laws late last year to allow players who had not represented a nation in three years to switch allegiances.

The eligibility changes mean Folau, who has not played for the Wallabies since scoring a double against England at Twickenham in November 2018, can play for Tonga immediately. Others like former Wallabies Adam Coleman and Sekope Kepu won’t be eligible until year’s end.

REVEALED: WALLABIES’ RISKY WORLD CUP PLANS

The Wallabies could be hiding in plain sight as part of their World Cup campaign, set to take a different approach under coach Dave Rennie next year with plans being hatched to base the squad in the southern French town of Montpellier before the tournament begins.

That is in stark contrast to their previous two campaigns under Michael Cheika, who preferred to have the team hidden away before launching their Cup assaults.

In 2015, Cheika took the Wallabies to Notre Dame University in Indiana before they made the final in England.

Then in 2019, he held a remote camp in New Caledonia – where players struggled to get Wi-Fi to call their families back home – before they were trounced by England in Japan in the quarter-final.

As preliminary plans are made for the 2023 campaign, Rugby Confidential has learned one possibility is to send the Wallabies to France much earlier than usual, and base them in Montpellier.

They would then play France in a warm-up match, before heading to Paris where they kick off their campaign on September 9 against Georgia.

While it has not been confirmed yet, the Montpellier camp is a risky option for the Wallabies given the amount of media attention there will be in France prior to the tournament, and the inevitable spies floating around.

It suggests Rennie is supremely confident in his plans and players and would rather embrace the French atmosphere in the weeks leading up to the event.

City square in Montpellier.

Lions tour breaks from tradition

In a major break from tradition, Australia’s Super Rugby sides could miss out on hosting matches against the British and Irish Lions in 2025 with officials instead looking at arranging games against Indigenous and Pacific Island selections.

Now that the 2027 and 2029 World Cups are locked in, Rugby Australia is turning its attention to the next mega event coming to Australian shores but with a fresh look at the fixture list.

The 2025 British and Irish Lions tour is a guaranteed monster money spinner but with a reduced number of games this time, officials want to make sure they maximise crowd attendances.

The British & Irish Lions traditionally play the host states.

While the details around the tour are still being worked through, Rugby Confidential can confirm the Lions will play eight matches in Australia - including three tests against the Wallabies.

That’s the least number of games the Lions have played in Australia since 1959 - when they also toured New Zealand - so local officials want every game to be blockbusters.

Traditionally, the Lions have always played against Australia’s state sides, organising matches against all five Super Rugby teams on their last tour to Australia in 2013.

Officials are tempted to stick with that tried and tested format in 2025 but highly placed sources say the new way of thinking is to look outside the square.

There is serious consideration now being given to playing matches against representative sides - including an Indigenous team, a team of players with Pasifika heritage and possibly an Australia A team.

State rival poaches Reds star

Melbourne Rebels have poached Queensland hooker Alex Mafi.

The 25-year-old will join the Rebels in 2023, alongside former Melbourne prop Sam Talakai.

Having finished his contract with Japanese club Suntory, Talakai is returning to Australia to bolster Melbourne’s front row stocks.

Rising hooker Alex Mafi will join the Rebels next year. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty

‘Steady Eddie’s’ shaky future

He may be heading to Australia attempting a second successive clean sweep of the Wallabies, and be planning for next year’s World Cup, but already there is speculation about Eddie Jones’ future post 2023.

French club Racing 92 was forced to deny reports they are keen to sign the Australian coach, after they were linked to Jones in English media.

It seems an agent contacted Racing asking if they would consider Jones, and it was then turned into a story suggesting he would become the club’s coach after the World Cup.

Eddie Jones’ future with England is up in the air. Picture: David Rogers/Getty

Racing’s rugby director Laurent Travers told AFP: “I swear to you. I have never spoken to him. Not me. Nor the president.

“A French agent spoke to us about it. He told us that he (Jones) was interested. But I replied that it was not on the agenda and that we would see later.

“We have had plenty of phone calls from all over the world, including France, but I guarantee you that it is absolutely false.

“If we take someone, he has to discuss with me, with the president, and he has to correspond with the needs of the club.”

Jones has said he’ll stand down as coach of England after the World Cup, regardless of the result, but is keen to continue coaching.

Hooper’s new wheels

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper will get an upgraded car after re-signing as ambassador the team’s sponsor Land Rover.

Hooper will be driving around in the aptly named Land Rover Defender, with the premium model retailing for a cool $220,000.

Originally published as Rugby Confidential: Israel Folau’s Test comeback, Wallabies’ 2023 Rugby World Cup plans