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Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has recalled Olympic sevens ace Samu Kerevi to join the squad for the third Bledisloe Cup match in Perth on August 28.
Kerevi last played for the Wallabies at the 2019 World Cup, but will be brought in as cover for the centres with No.12 Hunter Paisami expecting a child around the day of the game.
Kerevi is in hotel quarantine in Sydney having been a member of the Tokyo Olympics sevens team.
He will meet up with the Wallabies in Perth next week after this weekend’s second Bledisloe Cup encounter at Eden Park is expected to be part of the Rugby Championship squad for matches against South Africa and Argentina.
Kerevi is the second player after Duncan Paia’aua to be called upon as part of a change to the Giteau Law, allowing Rennie to select two players who have not met the minimum 60-Test cap criteria.
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“The big thinking for us around Samu is obviously, he’s still keen to play at international level, from a Covid perspective we’ve got concerns, Hunter’s baby girl is due September 1 so he’ll initially come to Perth but he could end up leaving early,” Rennie told News Corp on Tuesday.
“Once he leaves, there’s no guarantees that he can come back or when we could get him back, depending on borders and where future Tests are played.
“So Samu’s availability helps alleviate that problem. With a couple of injuries, we can’t bring guys in from anywhere else, so Samu is a great option for us.”
Rennie said the decision was forced due to the ongoing issues with the pandemic and travel restrictions but it was unlikely Kerevi would play in Perth. Rennie added Quade Cooper to the squad for similar reasons.
“That’s the thing with Covid, things are changing all the time, we’re really happy with our young guys and how they’re progressing,” Rennie said.
“Obviously Hunter is uncertain about his involvement for the third Test or beyond the third Test, which means we’ve got to have options available in case we get a couple more injuries.
“And we need to give Samu some time to get his head around everything, so it’s unlikely he would play in the third Test.
“The fact he made himself available for Sevens, was training and had clearance to come back, that helps and meant he was an option.”
Meanwhile, AAP reports all is seemingly forgiven with the Wallabies set to welcome back sinning superstar Marika Koroibete for Saturday’s do-or-die Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks in Auckland.
Dropped alongside forwards Isi Naisarani and Pone Fa’amausili for a late-night drinking session, Koroibete is likely to be rushed straight back into Australia’s starting line-up with trans-Tasman bragging rights for another year on the line.
Andrew Kellaway impressed on his Wallabies run-on debut in last Saturday’s 33-25 defeat.
But with the Wallabies down 1-0 in the series and needing to win the remaining two Tests to avoid the Bledisloe Cup remaining in New Zealand for an 18th consecutive year, coach Rennie is tipped to recall his strike winger at Kellaway’s expense.
And that’s fine by Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who said after angering teammates in the squad by breaking curfew the trio had been dealt with and served sufficient punishment.
“Guys like Marika and those other boys, they’ve worked hard over the past week and a bit. As a playing group, (we feel) they’re good men who made poor decisions and we know that,” the lock said on Tuesday.
“We’ve been building this culture for the best part of two years now under Dave and his guidance and we have no problem with telling each other off or poking each other in the chest.
“Marika works extremely hard and everyone knows that. I’m sure the fans know that at home, how hard he works, so you could only imagine how gutted he was.
“So for us as a playing group, we accept their apology.”
Salakaia-Loto didn’t believe Koroibete, who is bound for Japan at year’s end, would use his ban as any sort of spur for a big game.
“Marika, you see every game that he plays, he treats it like his last,” he said.
“So if he gets the opportunity this week, he’ll be exactly the same as what he’s been in the past.
“He’s been one of our best players that we’ve had.”
But the Wallabies know it will take more than Koroibete to break the their 35-year losing streak at Eden Park.
The Wallabies conceded their first four lineouts at the burial ground last week to gift the All Blacks precious possession and improving the set piece is imperative.
“You can’t win games if you don’t have the ball,” Salakaia-Loto said.
“We were in good parts of the field and those are the opportunities that we’ve got to take. We put ourselves in those parts of the field and, as a forward pack, we let our backs down.
“As locks and as a forward pack, we pride ourselves on our lineout and our scrum and especially on the maul.
“For us, we took that on the chin, we reviewed it and we’ll make some fixes and make sure we’re better for it this week.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.