Toutai Kefu recounts more of the night his family were forced to fight for their lives during a home invasion

Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu has vowed to fight to defend his neighbourhood and family until his “last breath” following a terrifying home invasion, as his heroic neighbour reveals more harrowing ­details after the “blood curdling scream” he heard.

Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu says thugs will not run his family out of their home and will defend his neighbourhood until his “last breath”, with the state “losing the battle” on youth crime.

Kefu spoke with The Courier-Mail outside his Coorparoo home – six weeks after four teens allegedly broke in and savagely attacked his family with an axe, machete and a knife.

His wife Rachel Kefu, who was still wearing a cast, has since returned to the home where the family was forced to fight for their lives during the invasion on August 16.

Kefu says while his family still had nightmares, they were focused on “getting back to normal”.

“I think it’s going to take a while, any noise outside we’re up and the kids are up as well if they hear stuff,” Kefu said.

“But I’m pretty hard on my kids, I tell them you just have to keep moving forward and we have to find a way to live with it.”

Toutai Kefu with his wife Rachel and four of his five children, Isaac, 13, Joshua, 21, Olivia, 19, and Lucia, 15, at Coorparoo. Picture: Liam Kidston

The rugby star’s heroic neighbour Ben Cannon, who rushed to the family’s aid, also revealed more harrowing ­details about the “blood curdling scream” he heard just ­before 3am.

“I’ve run out to the kitchen and heard Rachel screaming and I bolted straight over,” Mr Cannon said. “I just knew that they weren’t alone and whoever was with them, wasn’t welcome.”

Mr Cannon was confronted with a horrific scene.

“There was so much blood, it was hard to get your footing, it was just like soap,” Mr Cannon said.

Mr Cannon saw Madison first, who was being chased by one of the intruders as he wielded a knife.

He wrestled the teen to the ground – slipping in the blood and tearing his medial ligament in the process – and held him for 10 minutes until police arrived.

Police later charged four teenagers with the attempted murders of the Wallabies ­legend, his wife Rachel and their two adult children.

Their matters are still before the courts.

Kefu

Kefu said Queensland needed to work harder to ­address youth offenders.

“The intruders were reoffenders so there’s a break in the circuit somewhere so maybe we’ve got to get a bit harder on them – I don’t know what the answer is,” Kefu said. “It seems like a bit of a losing battle and it keeps increasing so I think they just need to work harder to find a solution.”

Mr Cannon said he was yet to return to work and often had flashbacks.

“We’ve all tried to get into normal quickly, but it’s been harder than I think we thought,” Mr Cannon said.

Kefu says his family has no plans to leave the area.

“We love the neighbourhood, we love the area. No young intruders are going to keep me out of my house.

“I’ll defend my family, my house and my neighbourhood til my last breath.”