Rugby World Cup 2023: Eddie Jones drops Samu Kerevi for final pool game
It’s been a disastrous campaign, but Eddie Jones has made one last big move at the selection table in an attempt to keep the Wallabies cup chances alive.
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The Wallabies have dropped another selection bombshell by dumping Samu Kerevi for their final World Cup pool match against Portugal.
Needing to win the match with a bonus point to have any chance of sneaking into the quarterfinals, the Wallabies have gambled on a reshuffled midfield and backrow.
Kerevi, one of Australia’s few experienced backs, has been dropped from the 23-man squad, with Lalakai Foketi taking his position at inside centre and former NRL winger Suliasi Vunivalu retaining his spot on the reserves’ bench.
Outside centre Jordan Petaia, who struggled defensively in Australia‘s back-to-back losses against Fiji and Wales, was also axed from the squad.
Izaia Perese, one of two Australian players yet to feature in the tournament, was handed the number 13 gold jersey for the first time in his career, teaming up with Foketi in a new-look midfield.
Head coach Eddie Jones also tweaked his back row, recalling Fraser McReight at openside flanker and moving Tom Hooper to blindside, with Rob Leota dropping back to the bench.
As well as the three changes to the starting lineup, Jones also brought in two fresh replacements.
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa was called up as the reserve halfback at the expense of Nic White while lock Matt Philip was left out so Josh Kemeny could play his first match of the tournament.
“This is an important game for this young team to attack from the first minute to the 80th. We need to empty the tank,” Jones said.
“We have a responsibility to put in a performance that makes supporters proud on Sunday, those that have travelled to France and at home in Australia.”
While the Wallabies are not officially out of the tournament yet, their chances of progressing to the knockout phase are very slim.
Not only do they need to beat Portugal, ranked 16th in the world, and score at least four tries for a bonus point, but they also need Fiji to slip up in one of their two remaining games, against Georgia and Portugal.
The Wallabies have never played Portugal in a Test before and will start as unbackable favourites to win despite their terrible form at the tournament so far.
Veteran prop James Slipper will play his 21st World Cup match, breaking George Gregan’s record for the most by a Wallaby.
Foketi said the Australian players were approaching the game with a mindset to show their supporters what they can do.
“We obviously let everyone down and we know that at the forefront of our mind,” he said.
“Everyone was feeling sorry for themselves but we‘ve got a big job this weekend to leave on a high, and who knows what happens this weekend, to show Australia and our supporters we do care. We want to leave a massive performance out there.
“In a World Cup you can‘t afford to lose, so it’s always a fear. We want to win every game and we obviously haven’t done that.
“We are a young team but that‘s no excuse, we want to leave on a high if that’s the case.”
Hooper, who has emerged as one of the team’s funniest characters, said the Wallabies were finding unique ways to move on from their disappointment of losing so badly against Wales.
“I don‘t think I’ll ever move on from it but I think that’s a good thing. The night we’ve just had, it pulled on the heart strings a little bit, it hurt a lot but I think that’s a good thing,” he said.
“It‘s something that will fuel me for the rest of my career and I am sure I am speaking on behalf of a lot of the young blokes, it’s a night that we have to remember because we don’t want to feel that again.
“It took a couple of days to grieve on that and now, like the penguins from Madagascar we come out smiling and wave at the boys and get on with the job and make sure that we put two good training days in and we‘re looking forward.”
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Originally published as Rugby World Cup 2023: Eddie Jones drops Samu Kerevi for final pool game