Samu Kerevi is set to have a minor operation on his right hand on Monday, but the centre is likely to be fit for the Wallabies’ World Cup opener against Georgia in Paris on September 9.
The 29-year-old came off in the 74th minute after breaking his hand during the Wallabies’ heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the All Blacks in Dunedin on Saturday afternoon.
Pictures of him with ice around his right hand only raised alarm bells ahead of Eddie Jones’ World Cup squad announcement on Thursday evening.
But the 45-Test midfielder will all but certainly be named in Jones’ squad, with the Japan-based star only likely to miss up to three weeks.
Samu Kerevi was forced off with a hand injury suffered against the All Blacks late in their loss at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 05, 2023 in Dunedin. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
Nonetheless, the injury is a setback for Kerevi and the Wallabies because the former Queensland Reds captain was still in search of his best form after only recently coming back from an ACL injury suffered in Australia’s Commonwealth Games campaign last August.
While Kerevi returned for Suntory – the same Japanese club Jones is a consultant for – in May, the hulking Fijian-born star was yet to find the form that previously made him one of the most destructive centres in the world.
At his best, Kerevi can dent the line and get his arms free but those characteristics, despite a willingness to get involved, have yet to be on show throughout the opening four Tests of the year.
Nor has it allowed the midfielder to find his feet in defence either, with Kerevi bitting regularly in defence and being burned on a couple of occasions.
That was seen on Saturday in Dunedin, where Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie managed to skip freely past him.
Samu Kerevi is still battling to return to full fitness. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
No team can carry multiple players with injuries and Jones is already sweating on the fitness of Len Ikitau, with the outside centre recovering from a broken shoulder.
The 24-year-old injured himself in the process of scoring against Argentina on July 16 and his recovery time was expected to be between 6-8 weeks.
Jones is likely to name no more than four specialist centres in his squad, with Jordan Petaia and Izaia Perese, who came off the bench in Dunedin for Kerevi, also set to be taken to France. Whether room can be found for Lalakai Foketi remains to be seen.
Eddie Jones has several selection headaches ahead of Thursday’s World Cup squad annoucement. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Jones is sweating on the fitness of prop Taniela Tupou, who missed the Bledisloe return fixture after injuring his ribs in Melbourne.
With Allan Alaalatoa out for the rest of the year following his devastating Achilles injury suffered at the MCG on July 29, the Wallabies will rely heavily on Tupou in France despite Pone Fa’amausili’s encouraging performance in Dunedin.
Hooker Dave Porecki is set to be available for selection despite departing early in the first half after copping a glancing blow to the head.
Fellow rake Jordan Uelese, whose scrummaging strength is valued particularly with the Wallabies’ depth at tight-head prop being tested, meanwhile was a late scratching on Saturday after hurting his knee.
“He’s got an old ACL injury and he’s got a bit in there that sometimes comes out and he talks to his knee to get back in and sometimes it doesn’t come back in,” Jones said following the three-point loss.
Just as intriguing is the state of play surrounding co-captain Michael Hooper’s calf injury.
Michael Hooper, who poses alongside Quade Cooper and Jordan Petaia at the Wallabies’ 2023 Rugby World Cup jersey unveiling at Coogee Oval, is no certainty to go to France. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Hooper, 31, tweaked his calf ahead of the Wallabies’ second Test of the year against Argentina.
While the Wallabies’ most capped captain of all time was confident he would return to face the All Blacks, Jones revealed that it had not responded quick enough following the 38-7 defeat at the MCG.
“No, he’s a long way away, mate,” he said when asked about Hooper’s prognosis.
“I’m saying that he’s got a serious injury and when you’ve got a serious injury there are deadlines and we need to find the deadline.
“When you’ve got a calf injury, sometimes you don’t know how quickly you can recover.
Asked to clarify whether he was at risk of missing the World Cup, Jones was coy.
“I’ll worry about that when we come up to World Cup selection,” he said.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Was Tate named Captain for the last match or for the WC?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Hopefully Kerevi's opp goes well. With the experience he has it doesn't take long to fit back into the team.
MalBreakaway
Roar Rookie
Why does everyone hate white so much? I agree that Lonergan is th Unexplained Missing talent on the field. This forum has a heavily Reds favouritism So I’m glad McDermott has been made the captain, so they can be a little less criticism of the players in general. Compare Tate McDermott missed try opportunity and Nick whites perfectly executed try and yet there’s endless criticism of Nick and very little of Tate. Tate had a good game but boy what a slow passing action out of the breakdown, plus it was his failure to listen to the ref on line out urgency huddle time delays , and his Failure to call for runners when Carter Gordon was kicking for goal and hit the post - no one to catch the rebound but all blacks. Finally, he also needs to make it clear to the referee when the all Blacks are slowing down the breakdown by getting in there, and looking like he’s being disturbed - as the All Blacks halves make very clear how annoyed they are. I find it annoying Nick regularly box kicks, but it’s not just HIS box kicks. It’s the box kicks in general and you have to go to the coach to ask why they box kick and without variety of depth. I suspect it comes down to Nick White being an irritating player for the Reds and possibly for the Waratah’s and so there’s an ingrown dislike of him. I would like to see take McDermott with Quade Cooper (both liking unstructured play) and Nick White or Lonergan with Carter Gordon. Lonergan with Carter Gordon is the future imo.
PaddyBoy
Roar Rookie
Really good point mate, I think Koroibete too was made to look a bit defensively weaker than he actually is for the same reason, was left exposed by teammmates.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Rubbish. Have always liked Fraser but I try (unlike some others) to be onjective.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Bobby just hates anything that comes out of QLD. McReight could have had a man of the match performance and single handedly dismantled the AB's and he still would say that he "did not take his chances".
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Maybe Eddie will slot Suli into 12....
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
He was short listed for World Rugby player of the year in 2021 following his best wallaby season after being in Japan since the start of 2020 :laughing: :laughing:
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
As a back up Hodge offers more value than Foketi. As a first choice 12 it’s Foketi by a long stretch though.
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
cj, 100% correct. Carter Cordon has the benefit of having a great athlete, with strength and experience to burn outside him who can deal with multiple tacklers when the #10 doesn't bother to draw anyone before passing. Kerevi covers for many of the novices and inexperienced forwards in the Wallaby line up.
Wig
Roar Rookie
Um er ok. Doesn't work though put players anywhere out of position in general
HiKa
Roar Rookie
Bobby, Kerevi certainly did get better for being coached by a Kiwi and having high quality team mates around him at Sun Goliath. What you are complaining about just might have more to do with busting his ACL last year, being unable to play for many months and then trying to play himself into form against some of the best teams in the world. Can he regain his footspeed? I don't know. If not, the future looks like more Foketi and less Kerevi.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
That fulcrum Archimedes was seeking was, of course, a pure abstraction that will never be seen in reality ... (You're an educated man - I'll let you finish this.)
HiKa
Roar Rookie
Yes, but you don't go into a RWC without covering every position with a plan. If Kerevi doesn't play one/some/all matches, who is the best Australia has to play test rugby in #12? I'd argue it is Foketi based on what he showed last year. Of course, he's been injured since and Eddie Jones may have other plans - possibly Hodge (giving cover across multiple positions) if he's trying to squeeze more forwards into the 33 because of the attrition expected.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Like Lynagh playing in centre to Ella , Grand Slam winning team. A coach once said to me when I suggested it to him, that I was an idiot and you would never select Lynagh at in centre. So one of the best 10s to play, Graham Noon played second grade instead of first grade. They lost first grade and won second grade.
cj
Roar Rookie
A-lot of criticism floating around re Kerevi and defence and getting beaten laterally. If you watch the black jersey on the tube it shows that Kerevi etc are getting caught out by forwards not working in defence and marking up and rolling around to the other side of the ruck. Its leaving blokes like Kerevi having to mark two players and with clever block plays, the attscking side is making blokes like Kerevi have to hols before they can drift/slide which as a result allows them ti beat Kerevi etc laterally. So its not Kerevis fault… and its easy fixed through improved team fitness, game awareness and IQ amongst players and defensive system work (note EJ said they have done no work on the defensive system to date). So all this Kerevi is slow, Kerevi is poor etc is just uneducated garbage.
MD
Roar Rookie
lmao bahhahah
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
See below
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Who said give me a fulcrum and I will move the Earth?
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
The word ‘silly’ is just an expression that Londoners used for anyone that came into city from the countryside. silly = countryside. I’m for the country, therefore maybe silly. Not from the big smoke that is RA in Sydney.