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In what would be the most gut-wrenching decision of his spectacular career, Wallabies fullback Israel Folau must bow out of the Rugby World Cup final if his injured ankle won’t allow him to play 80 minutes at pace.
While no rugby fans would wish that decision on their worst enemy, the Wallabies cannot afford to take on the reigning champion All Blacks, the best team in the world, carrying a passenger.
From the moment Folau limped off Twickenham against England in the 65th minute on October 3, he has been troubled by the injury that has also cut deep into his confidence.
He can’t play his normal game.
Folau was well below par against Wales a week later, missed the Scotland game altogether, and shouldn’t have played against the Pumas where he was clearly restricted.
Watching Folau kick in the semi-final instead of taking on the defence in his typical attacking mode was there for all to see.
Let’s face it, Folau’s kicking is ordinary, one went within a whisker of an air-swing. That would have been the ultimate embarrassment.
On the other side of the coin, there’s no argument a full-bore attacking Folau can win the coveted Cup if fit, it’s as simple as that.
But it’s 23 days since the original ankle injury and he’s still not fully involved at training.
There are two other Wallabies – No.8 David Pocock and prop Scott Sio – who must be just as brutally honest about their fitness.
There’s precious little concern about Pocock’s calf injury that forced him out of the Scotland quarter-final. He well and truly lasted the distance against the Pumas while James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Scott Fardy, Stephen Moore, and Rob Simmons were replaced in the second half.
Pocock’s sporting a couple of black eyes as a result, but they are purely visible signs of the warrior’s tough battle up front.
It was another powerhouse performance from Pocock to again stamp himself as the frontrunner to be named the player of the tournament.
That would be an omen.
Only two Wallabies have won that honour – David Campese in 1991, and Tim Horan in 1999 – when the Wallabies won their two World Cups.
Sio missed the Pumas game with his elbow injury still causing some concern. But a fit Sio is definitely needed if the Wallabies scrum is to hold up against the renowned men-in-black pack from the get go.
Slipper is far more effective coming off the bench around the 50-60 minute mark.
In typical Michael Cheika mould, he won’t release his 23-man squad until the 11th hour – and that’s fair enough.
But the decisions that really count must be left to Folau and Sio.