Wallabies fullback Israel Folau counts himself a 50-50 chance of returning from an ankle injury to bolster a side he says has been “switching off” in the game’s big moments.
The cross-code star rolled his ankle in the Bledisloe Cup opener and missed the subsequent Test as the Wallabies were soundly beaten in Auckland.
He trained away from the main group at the squad’s Gold Coast base on Monday and wasn’t overly optimistic when asked to assess his chances of lining up against South Africa at Suncorp Stadium.
“At this stage I’d probably say it’s a 50-50. I’ve only had one run and that was on Friday,” he said.
“I guess I’ll know more as the week goes on.”
He’s been running on his injured ankle at Sanctuary Cove and if he proves his fitness, he’s expected to wear the No.15, with his replacement Dane Haylett-Petty moving to the wing and rookie back Jack Maddocks shifting to the bench.
Folau admitted that pride was on the line against the Springboks after having their pre-Bledisloe confidence eroded during the past month.
“There’s no doubt that really hurt us, those results,” Folau said.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks in terms of the way we’ve been playing. That’s obviously very clear.”
While trying to dismiss it, Folau let slip the side’s willingness to scramble had become an issue in their back-to-back losses.
“It’s little moments in the game where some guys lapse and kind of switch off,” he said.
“There’s no sense of urgency, in the sense of wanting to cure that play straight away.
“It’s something that we need to get on, as a team, on the same page.”
Folau may be a way off full fitness ahead of Thursday’s team announcement but he is in the best position to make a miracle recovery.
Long the home of Queensland’s State of Origin training camps that Folau himself has been a part of, the Sanctuary Cove resort has witnessed its fair share of medical marvels over the years.
“I hope that rubs off for me. I’ve stayed here in the past. It’s a great spot,” he laughed.
Folau also hopes one of his favourite stadiums can again provide some respite for coach Michael Cheika’s under-fire squad.
Australia beat Ireland in Brisbane earlier this year and also toppled the All Blacks in last year’s Bledisloe dead rubber.
Harry Jones
Expert
Boks will find it easier to neutralise Folau (a tough task when SA is DEFENDING) if he is at 15; and definitely prefer him to ATTACK against in first five phases from midfield, because of his iffy positioning. At wing, however, I think he could score 2-3 tries against our young, raw defenders.
piru
Roar Rookie
Give it over Terrence, having a different opinion doesn't make someone 'anti' your favourite player, stop trying to create a divide.
terrence
Roar Rookie
i'm glad the anti-folau clueless bunch commenting on this thread are not coaching the wallabies..
piru
Roar Rookie
He's not your best player though. Pocock is
Malo5
Guest
Folau is our greatest player but he’s lost the love ???? of the public. People could not be bothered if he quits, but it would limit the number of wallaby wins.
Puff
Guest
Gee! Reading this article you would think Folau is the Wallaby special theorist and a philosopher of the game generally. Although the gent is a great finisher he is far from creative and sadly it is difficult to find any team member or coaching staff that have an inspired resourceful game plan. The only plus I see for the Wallabies, the Boz have a very predictable playing style and if Cheika fails to recognize the opportunities the team will struggle to move forward. At 50/50 Folaus best position is in the stand.
Rugby wizard
Guest
50/50 Chance not even bothered as a wallaby fan,we lost the best of them all in Luke Morahan,the greatest loss too the wallabies ever.
Kane
Roar Guru
I seem to recall an article a while back where many predicted he would take the world record for test try’s. This seasons not gone to plan. Zero try’s from four tests and another test where he didn’t play with that maybe turning to zero try’s from six available tests this year.
Green Lantern
Roar Pro
No doubt Folau is a good Union player. But as a Springbok supporter, I really hope he plays on Saturday.
Die hard
Roar Rookie
Are you allowed to just say 'meh' as a comment and get away with it. DHP put in a good game, enough to build on. It seems the gloss is gone because of attitude recently. Trudging off in play as the ABs scored was poor spirit. Even hobbling into the line to fill a space would have been good. Dogmatism about others views criticising techniques or public statements has disenfranchised many Contract and future plans are watchable though
piru
Roar Rookie
Maybe he appreciates tackling, support running, positional play and a kicking game?
Malo5
Guest
You obviously don’t appreciate tries or line breaks for the wallabies or sr.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
At Fullback Folau is a joke. If you can't see it, you don't know rugby. Cheika may put him in a 15 jersey, but the guys "Playing Fullback" when he is on the field, and when it matters are Foley, Beale and DHP. Folau may as well be a cameraman as he chaperones the opposition to the tryline. The Role that he does play is some hybrid attacking 13/14/15 that hides from action in defense, which he is very good at, but at what cost?
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
Nah mate. There won't be a difference in ticket sale numbers, or TV audience whether Folau plays or doesn't.
Cliff Bishkek
Roar Rookie
Folau statement: "Wallabies fullback Israel Folau counts himself a 50-50 chance of returning from an ankle injury to bolster a side he says has been “switching off” in the game’s big moments". He is probably the biggest offender when it comes to "switching off". In fact there are many times in a game that he has not "switched on" for 80 minutes.
THE ICEMAN MELTS
Guest
If he is 50/50 Cheika will play him.Folau being the face of the game needs to be there or no one will show up. Also Cheika likes playing injured or underdone players.
Malo5
Guest
Bs, Folau is all over Dhp but I think the general public don’t give a frig what Folau says or if he stays or goes. Just okay rugby or go.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
We lose nothing with DHP at 15.
Redsfan1
Guest
If only Folau could actually play fullback.