They share Fijian roots, a close bond and a room on the spring tour, now Tevita Kuridrani and Henry Speight will experience Test rugby together for the first time.
Speight’s four-year wait to become an Australian Test player will end in Dublin on Saturday (Sunday morning AEDT) after being named on the wing to face Ireland at Lansdowne Road.
The pair grew up on different sides of Fiji but struck up a close friendship when they linked up at the Brumbies in 2012.
And nobody will be more pleased than Kuridrani to see 26-year-old Speight become an Australian Test player and leave a long and frustrating eligibility battle behind.
“I’m really happy for him,” Kuridrani said of Speight, who played in the tour-opening win over the Barbarians.
“He’s come a long way and I think everybody’s been waiting for him to put on that gold jersey. People back in Fiji have been waiting for it.
“I’m really enjoying him being here. We talk Fijian all the time on the field and off it and tell jokes from Fiji. It’s been pretty good fun.”
Speight need only look at his Kuridrani’s rapid progress for inspiration on making the most of his Wallabies opportunity.
Kuridrani, 23, only made his Test debut last year but has developed into Australia’s form player in recent months and shapes as a potentially devastating attacking weapon for next year’s World Cup.
The 196cm, 102kg wrecking ball has been terrorising defences of late and puts him rapid improvement down to feeling more comfortable with his role in the team.
“I think last year was more a learning stage for me,” said Kuridrani, who moved to Australia from Fiji with his parents in 2007.
“I was a little nervous and not really sure of what my job was within the team but not I’m confident in knowing what the team needs from me.
“I feel like I’m playing really well at the moment.”
Kuridrani had a mixed night when he played in Australia’s 32-15 win Ireland in Dublin a year ago.
He got to face one of his childhood idols in legendary Irish centre Brian O’Driscoll but was red-carded and suspended for five weeks over a tip tackle on Ireland forward Peter O’Mahony.
“That was pretty disappointing and silly from me and I’ve learned form that,” Kuridrani said.
Bmwwilliams
Guest
ABOS, I appreciate your sentiment here in defending the representation of poorer countries. However, whether intentional or not (and I'm sure not) statements like yours come with a nasty racist undercurrent - that immigrant Australians are not Australian and should not be allowed to be recognized as such. If Speight has lived in Australia and would like to represent his adopted country, who are you to say he shouldn't be able to?
All Bent Out of Shape
Guest
I dont agree with Fekitoa playing for NZ although he moved there at 17 and I dont mind Tuilagi playing for Eng 1 bit, he was 13 when he moved there. There is a massive difference between Tuilagi and Speight. Speight arrived in Aus to play rugby having never lived in Aus before when he was well into his 20s. Tuilagi spent a large part of his childhood in Eng.
kibui b
Guest
What's your view on Tuilagi for the Poms and Fekitoa for the AB's? since you're all bent out of shape over Speight's eligibility.
All Bent Out of Shape
Guest
Yes, Speight is Fijian. He should not be allowed to play for Australia unless there is a valid reason why he cant play for Fiji. You should not be allowed to pick a country to represent based on financial opportunity and Aus must not be allowed to offer players financial incentives to play for Aus. If you are over 18 before you become a resident then its bad luck, you cant play for that country just because the club paying you resides there. Otherwise "national" teams are Barbarians squads where talent is hired and smaller less financially equipped nations will lose their best players as top 10 nations exploit the lack of smaller/poorer union nations funding, even though said top nations dont need to exploit these countries. Its wrong and these nations already find it difficult getting their capped players off the clubs. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
dirtyrottenscoundrel
Guest
Goodluck Henry
Fiji
Guest
Cant wait to see them both in action.