‘We let the country down’: The World Cup pain that shelved Koroibete’s retirement plans

Emotions were running high – and low – in the Wallabies’ dressing room last year as their World Cup campaign collapsed. But somewhere between Australia losing to Wales and the team boarding a flight home, disappointment and anger evolved into something else for Marika Koroibete: conviction.

Having entered with a plan to retire from Test rugby at the end of the tournament, Koroibete and the Wallabies got there way too soon – and the star winger realised it just couldn’t be the final chapter.

“I had had a number of conversations with people around me, and most likely I was going to retire,” Koroibete said.

“Then, yeah, obviously the result that came was not what I wanted, and how I wanted to finish. So I pretty much changed my mind. I want a strong finish.”

Unaware of Koroibete’s U-turn, prop Pone Fa’aumasili let slip the retirement plan to journalists, which in turn led to reports about Koroibete hanging up the boots.

But after later informing Rugby Australia he was keen to continue, Koroibete is now back in gold and looking for that strong finish. The 32-year-old, who plays his domestic rugby in Japan, was called up by Joe Schmidt last week as the one-and-only “Giteau Law” selection, before the Wallabies’ opening two Rugby Championship games against the Springboks.

Marika Koroibete gets his selfie game going at the World Cup in France.Credit: Getty

It’s a slight shift for Schmidt and his coaching staff, who overlooked Koroibete, Will Skelton, Samu Kerevi and other overseas-based players for the July Test series against Wales and Georgia.

But despite continuing to prefer local players to Skelton and others for the Boks’ clash, the fact Schmidt has opened the door just enough to let Koroibete in highlights the peerless dynamism offered by the powerful winger.

Schmidt has decent depth in the wing department, with Andrew Kellaway and Filipo Daugunu, in particular, in good form in July.

However, as seen by Koroibete’s out-of-this-world performance against the Springboks in Adelaide in 2022, when he scored a try and famously stopped one with a missile-like cover tackle in the Wallabies’ win, some players are just too good to leave sitting on the sidelines.

“I am very grateful to Joe for giving me another opportunity,” Koroibete said.

“There’s been no conversations [during the year] really. He has been focusing mainly on the local boys playing Super, which makes sense. He rang me in July to tell me they were going with the local boys but to keep training.”

Marika Koroibete and the Wallabies come to terms with their World Cup elimination.Credit: Getty

Koroibete joined the Wallabies in camp in Brisbane on Saturday and a sense of righting the wrongs of 2023 is strong.

“It was a hard year,” Koroibete said. “The Wallabies and rugby in Australia, there is high expectation there. I just want to bring back the pride in the jersey. We went to the World Cup last year and let the country down. We let people down and let the ex-players down.”

Despite being at an age where he was contemplating hanging up the boots, the two-time John Eales medallist says he’s feeling as good as ever.

Koroibete’s workload is managed wisely while playing for the Robbie Deans-coached Panasonic Wild Knights and he helped the team go through the regular season undefeated. The Wild Knights lost in the final to the Richie Mo’unga-led Toshiba side but after some time off, Koroibete says he’s mentally and physically fresh.

Finding a spot in the team may be the hard part, though. With only a few days learning the ropes under Schmidt before a team for the August 10 Test in Brisbane is selected, Koroibete knows ousting either Kellaway and Daugunu will be tough.

“It was good for [Daugunu] to get back into the international arena – he belongs there,” Koroibete said.

“It’s great to see him grow his game and to see him play at a high level in the July Tests. It was so impressive. It is a good challenge for all us back three players who are fighting for a spot.”

Marika Koroibete smashing Makazole Mapimpi in 2022 in Adelaide.Credit: Getty

Up against the uber-physical Springboks, Koroibete’s muscle and aggression will be his best asset at the selection table. The comparatively undersized Wallabies will need every strong carrier they can get against South Africa. Koroibete’s one-out defence can also lift teams.

Koroibete says he loves the challenge of playing against the Boks, who thumped the Wallabies in Pretoria last year before going on to win their second consecutive World Cup.

“They’re world champions for a reason. They’re a physical team and the work they do on the ground, especially the forwards, is strong,” Koroibete said.

“Obviously, it is a physical game, but I think it is more about mindset.

“You want to test yourself and test yourself against the best, so they’re a great challenge. It is something that should motivate you.”

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