Wallabies centres Kerevi, Kuridrani big threat to England defence

The new Wallabies centre pairing of Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani will pose a huge line-breaking threat to England.

Samu Kerevi, Christian Lealiifano and Tevita Kuridrani during the Wallabies team photo session at Ballymore in Brisbane yesterday. Picture: Adam Head

They’ve made the journey from backyard footy to Test rugby and now new Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi and midfield partner ­Tevita Kuridrani will pose a ­massive line-breaking threat to England at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night.

Given that the last time the Wallabies played was in the World Cup final, the fact that four uncapped players have been named in the side to meet Eddie Jones’s England — Kerevi, winger Dane Haylett-Petty, lock Rory Arnold and reserve halfback Nick Frisby — is remarkable, but then again, the squad of 23 also includes 16 members of the side that played the All Blacks on October 31.

Coach Michael Cheika had promised he would reward form and certainly all four debutants have been standouts in Super Rugby this season. Kerevi’s selection perhaps came as the biggest shock, not because his figures don’t stand up — he is second in Super Rugby in defenders beaten, third in carries, fifth in metres gained — but because he was up against Christian Lealiifano. The Brumbies ace arrived in the Brisbane camp only late on Wednesday, having waited in Canberra for the birth of his first child, a son, but as a second playmaker he very much fitted the Wallabies style of play. It was the way they played during the World Cup with Matt Giteau at 12.

Kerevi, however, very much offers a direct, physical threat in midfield, akin to Ma’a Nonu.

“It changes the way we look from a footy perspective, but that’s something we needed to do as a team as we continue to evolve,” said Cheika. In short, less guile, more power.

As children growing up as members of Brisbane’s Fijian com­munity before they went their separate ways, Kuridrani to the Brumbies, Kerevi to the Reds, the new Wallabies centres went to church together at Moorooka and Acacia Ridge. But while they mucked around in pick-up games with Kuridrani’s cousin Chris and Crusaders’ Fiji star Nemani Nadolo, they never actually played ­together. “We were laughing about it today in the gym … the first time we’ll ever play together will be in the Wallabies,” Kerevi said.

Cheika has loudly proclaimed he wants his team to play un­apologetic, abrasive rugby but the first person Kerevi contacted to tell of his selection yesterday was his mum, Sai. Indeed, so too did Haylett-Petty, who, like Kerevi, adds to the growing foreign-born contingent in the Wallabies. “Mum (Margie) was in tears,” Haylett-Petty said.

His family came out from Durban to Perth when he was 10. There was no one incident that prompted the move but, as he said, South Africa can be pretty dangerous at times. “Everyone knew people who’d been affected,” he said. “We got out at the right time.”

For a while his affections remained with the Springboks — so, too, another recruit from southern Africa, David Pocock — but in the end the Wallabies won his loyalty. Although he had three years at Biarritz and another ­season with the Tokyo Shokki Shuttles, his intention was always to return home, play for the Western Force and press for a gold jersey.

“I like what he’s got to offer as a footballer,”Cheika said. “He’s attacking, he wants to make a break, he wants to take responsibility for the ball in the air — which we’ll see plenty of — he wants to get in there at first receiver. He’s not carrying any fear into the game, and I like that.” Nor, despite the fact that he’s in only his fourth season of rugby, is Arnold. The fact he will tower over everyone in this Test accounts for that, in part — he is 208cm, making him the tallest Wallaby ever — but Cheika took him aside in the corresponding camp last year and gave him a list of things to work on. One was his physicality.

“It’s going to be tough but fun for him. Funny how they always go together, pleasure and pain,” Cheika said.

Greg Holmes, who came off the bench all through the World Cup, has been granted his birthday wish for tomorrow, a starting berth at tighthead in place of Sekope Kepu, who has only recently returned from Bordeaux.

It may be that Kepu’s fitness swayed Cheika but he was quick to praise Holmes’s outstanding season as the rock of the Queensland scrum.

Australia: Israel Folau, Dane Haylett-Petty, Tevita Kuridrani, Samu Kerevi, Rob Horne, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Rory Arnold, Greg Holmes, Stephen Moore (capt), Scott Sio. Res: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, James Horwill, Dean Mumm, Sean McMahon, Nick Frisby, Christian Leali’ifano.

England: Mike Brown, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, Luther Burrell, Marland Yarde, Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs, Billy Vunipola, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw, George Kruis, Maro Itoje, Dan Cole, Dylan Hartley (capt), Mako Vunipola. Reserves: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Matt Mullan, Paul Hill, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Danny Care, George Ford, Jack Nowell.