Centre Hunter Paisami’s absence for Australia’s upcoming clash against England could pave the way for veteran Samu Kerevi’s Test comeback.
With Paisami opting to stay in Brisbane for the birth of his child, The Roar reports the Wallabies are expected to turn to Kerevi, who recently joined the squad after early-season fitness concerns.
The Wallabies are chasing their first grand slam in 40 years – the Aussies face England on Saturday, 9 November, before Tests against Wales (17 November), Scotland (24 November) and Ireland (30 November).
“I’ve had a number of discussions with Samu – he’s pretty fit and ready to go,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said in the buildup to the end-of-year tour.
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Schmidt noted that Kerevi’s Urayasa D-Rocks coach, Greig Laidlaw, affirmed his impressive condition: “He’s probably fitter than he was all last year.”
Kerevi’s return offers the Wallabies an experienced presence in the midfield, following his 13-month Test absence. “If we didn’t get Samu and Will [Skelton] involved now, it would be very difficult to have them involved for the Lions,” Schmidt added.
The 31-year-old will bolster a Wallabies midfield light on size without him, while Paisami may rejoin later in the tour, offering Schmidt more options in what could be an historic campaign.
Photo: @wallabies/Twitter
The post Kerevi set for Wallabies return appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
