Wallabies stars Stephen Moore, Samu Kerevi support Israel Folau bid to play against British & Irish Lions
Wallabies greats have backed Israel Folau’s bid to play in the Australia and New Zealand Invitational side against the Lions, and one even wants to play alongside him.
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FORMER Wallabies stars Stephen Moore and Samu Kerevi have thrown their support behind Israel Folau playing for the AUNZ Invitational team against the British & Irish Lions in July.
Moore, the former captain and third highest capped Wallaby of all time, believes 35-year-old Folau should be allowed to have a farewell match in front of an Australian crowd at Adelaide Oval.
“If he’s keen to play, it would be great if they can work out a way to make that happen,” Moore told Rugby Confidential.
“For whatever has happened, that’s in the past. There are so many different views on it, and you’ve got to respect that, but I think it would be a nice thing for Israel to be able to play in a game like that.
“On the field, Izzy was a wonderful Wallaby. He played great rugby for the Waratahs and Australia for a long time, scored a lot of tries and contributed to some great results.
“He didn’t leave the game in Australia on the best of terms, but there has been a lot of water gone under the bridge since then.”
Kerevi, now Folau’s teammate at Japanese club Urayasu D-Rocks, is his long-time friend and would also love to play alongside him for the Invitational team.
“I would love to see Izzy in the international arena again,” Kerevi told us.
“He’s a generational player and to see him and many other Wallabies link up with the ABs boys who we’ve played over the years build a combination would be amazing for rugby. It would be a spectacle. I’d definitely be paying to watch that game or even be involved in it.”
RA has indicated that the team, while featuring some All Blacks and Wallabies stars based in Japan, will be more heavily stacked with locally based players who are in contention for Australian jerseys.
But Moore, who is now managing director of insurance company BMS Group, and was recently appointed by Premier David Crisafulli to the board of Stadiums Queensland in preparation for the 2032 Olympics, said RA could not only mend a bridge between themselves and Folau, but also many rugby fans who deserted the game after he was sacked.
“It has got to a point where enough time has passed, it doesn’t matter whether you agreed or disagreed with what happened, this is a different time,” Moore said.
“You’ve got an opportunity in front of you, use it and find a way to include him.”
Some have suggested Folau should be picked for the First Nations/Pasifika team to play the Lions in Melbourne, given he switched allegiance to Tonga in 2022, however the agreement reached by RA with Lions officials is that all players in that team must play for one of Australia’s four Super Rugby teams, or Fijian Drua or Moana Pasifika.
KING CHARLES COULD BE COMING TO AUSTRALIA FOR LIONS’ TOUR
KING Charles could be the guest of honour in the opening Lions Test, with an invitation sent to the monarch.
We’re told Rugby Australia has reached out to the King’s office via the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn.
The King and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, are huge rugby union fans and have appeared at several big games over the years, including Lions Tests and World Cup finals.
If the royal leader does turn up, it would be quite the sight watching the swarm of Lions fans singing God Save The King at him in the opening Test at Suncorp Stadium.
FARRELL STILL CHANCE TO MAKE LIONS’ TOUR
OWEN Farrell is still in the mix to be brought of the international wilderness to play against the Wallabies for the Lions – coached by his father Andy.
While the younger Farrell hasn’t played Test footy since the 2023 World Cup, having moved to French club Racing 92, this year’s Six Nations raised more questions than answers as to who should wear the Lions No.10 jersey.
Before the tournament started, Scotland’s Finn Russel was the overwhelming favourite. But his rocks and diamonds campaign has likely put doubt in Andy Farrell’s mind about whether he can steer the Lions to victory in Australia.
But the other viable options for the Lions, England’s Fin Smith and Ireland’s Sam Prendergast, have yet to play 10 Tests.
It’s led coach Farrell to ponder picking French-based players, including his 33-year-old son.
“We’re open-minded about all of that,” Farrell said. “We could have a conversation with some clubs over there (France), they might release them. These things will be ongoing.” Farrell is already a three-time Lions tourist but the playmaker’s first season at Racing 92 has been hampered by a groin injury.
Asked about selecting his son for the tour, Farrell replied: “Same as everyone else. He’s just coming back from injury. You keep an eye on everything.”
PETAIA HOPEFUL OF NFL CONTRACT
JORDAN Petaia is one of 13 international athletes hoping to land an NFL deal this week as he trials in Florida.
The former Wallabies back spoke to former Welsh rugby rival Louis Rees-Zammit, who took the same plunge last year and landed with Kansas City Chiefs before shifting to Jacksonville Jaguars where he in the roster for next season.
Petaia, 25, looks like he has been trialling for the wide receiver position at the International Pathways Program at the University of South Florida’s Pro Day, where scouts from all NFL clubs will be watching.
“I spoke to Louis Rees-Zammit when he entered the program last year and I was fully supportive of him and thought that was awesome for him to make the league and do so well in that,” Petaia told the Mirror US.
“(Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl winning offensive tackle) Jordan Mailata, coming from Australia, he’s probably the best in his position in the league, so he’s done tremendous.
“We were lucky enough to spend some time with him in camp here and learn from him and take a lot of good advice. He just told us to keep our heads down and work hard; I think work ethic’s the biggest thing they thrive on here.
“It’s just about covering all aspects of the game and not getting too ahead of yourself - and just enjoying it as well. It’s easier to look far ahead without worrying about tomorrow, so I think that’s the biggest thing Louis and Jordan said.”
THE ODD COUPLE OF NSW RUGBY
THEY are truly the odd couple in the Waratahs midfield this week.
The $5 million man Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii lines up alongside new captain Joey Walton, who is one of the lesser-known members of the star-studded NSW squad.
Suaalii boasts 128,000 Instagram followers, while Walton has a modest 1895.
Nevertheless, Walton has earned the captaincy through tenacity and toughness and will become the 179th man to lead NSW when they take the field against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday.
“He’s a tough bugger, he played 80 minutes with a torn groin and backed up a game with a serious cork,” NSW coach Dan McKellar said.
“He’s well-respected in the group because of how hard he’s worked to get back on the field and perform consistently.
“You could see the pride on his face when I told him he’d be captaining the team.”
Meanwhile, Suaalii switches from fullback to outside centre in his second Super Rugby appearance, after starting at fullback in round one before suffering a toe injury.
“Understanding that he’s only two weeks back into full training, we felt that playing him in the front line would reduce his overall running load while still ensuring he gets his hands on the ball and influences the game,” McKellar said.
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