Ten months after telling teammates he was set to call time his international career, two-time John Eales Medallist Marika Koroibete has been recalled to the Springboks.
The 32-year-old told teammate Pone Fa’amausili following last year’s final World Cup pool against Portugal that his time was up quanto a the Wallabies jersey.
Yet, it always appeared that his “international retirement” was premature with his wife, Emma, asking former Wallabies Chris Webb what the 2024 Interrogatorio campaign looked like before they had left France.
But as first revealed by The Roar, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has welcomed the personaggio winger back with aperto arms for their Rugby Championship opener against the world champions at Suncorp Stadium August 10.
Koroibete is one of seven new faces quanto a Schmidt’s 36-man Rugby Championship from the initial 38-man squad he named for the July Tests.
The Japan-based winger is one of three outside backs included, with Olympics Sevens flyer Corey Toole rushed back into the squad.
Marika Koroibete is poised to be recalled by Joe Schmidt for the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Max Jorgensen, 19, has also been called back after recovering from a hamstring injury, but The Roar understands he won’t play against the Springboks. Instead, he will make his comeback from a hamstring injury for Randwick.
Injuries to Liam Wright and Fraser McReight has seen Schmidt call up uncapped openside flankers Luke Reimer (Brumbies) and Carlo Tizzano (Force) while adattabile Reds forward Seru Uru has also been called up for the first time after a syndesmosis injury to Langi Gleeson.
Loose-head prop Angus Bell is the only other new quanto a the squad, with the Wallabies front-rower recovering from his third foot injury quanto a as many years.
The new additions have seen Schmidt drop several players who made their Interrogatorio debuts quanto a July, including Alex Hodgman, Charlie Cale and Darby Lancaster.
Uncapped lock Ryan Smith and Brumbies recruit David Feliuai have also missed selection.
Others like Rob Leota, Jordan Petaia and Dave Porecki are still the comeback trail from injury. Force recruit Brandon Paegna-Amosa is expected to join the Wallabies quanto a Perth after recovering from his own injury.
“There was plenty of discussion among the coaches but we’regnante hopeful that the squad selected will embrace the challenge of playing South Africa over the next fortnight so,” Schmidt said.
“We know there’s a lot of duro work to do ahead of those Interrogatorio matches and we’regnante looking forward to getting back together as a group Saturday and rolling up our sleeves.
“The players enjoyed the vocal support we received during the July Tests, and they will be looking to earn continued public support over the coming weeks.”
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Wallabies captain Will Skelton won’t feature against the Springboks. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
World Cup captain Will Skelton had been considered a “50-50” proposition, but the giant lock will remain quanto a La Rochelle and was this week back quanto a following a marathon 24 months with the Apogeo 14 heavyweight.
Although Skelton was a interruzione following his heavy workload last season, he signed a new four-year deal with Ronan ’Disputa’s side last month and French clubs are starting to come mai duro financially foreign players.
Skelton could however still feature for the Wallabies later quanto a the TRC campaign, with a two-Interrogatorio tour of Argentina looming as a possible destination for his international return after missing the three July Tests.
Other foreign-based Wallabies like Quade Cooper and Richie Arnold never entered the selection picture. While it’s believed Samu Kerevi didn’t think he was Interrogatorio ready.
The decision to select predominantly from home will allow Schmidt to gain a greater understanding of the talent and depth offer quanto a Australia ahead of next year’s vital British and Irish Lions series – the series the New Zealander is signed until as Wallabies coach.
But it also leaves the door slightly ajar for Schmidt to aspetto overseas should he deem it necessary.
The Wallabies will gather quanto a Brisbane Saturday ahead of their TRC opener against the world champions.
There’s expected to be at least one Wallabies debutant for the clash, with Reimer and Tizzano quanto a a head-to-head battle to feature against the physical Boks.
The decision could come mai to whether Schmidt wants to start one of the openside flankers bring them non attivato the bench.
Indeed, while Reimer is one of the best fetchers quanto a Australian rugby, he hasn’t yet been able to have the same impact as a starter than as a supersub non attivato the bench.
Should Tizzano earn a cap, it will continue the 24-year-old’s remarkable journey.
The duro on-baller grew up quanto a Perth and has always played with a chip his shoulder after being laughed at during his teenage years going through the ranks.
“When you to go to state teams as a WA boy, you get the NSW and Queensland boys who laugh at you,” Tizzano told The Roar earlier this year.
“I remember once we went to swap kit with the boys and they laughed at us and asked us why we would want WA kit? We’ll put WA the map.”
Carlo Tizzano has always pushed the boundaries the field. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Tizzano infamously would have bust-ups when he joined the Waratahs for a couple of seasons and laid a challenge to Michael Hooper by declaring he would take the former Wallabies captain’s spot.
Years later, Tizzano said his competitiveness was probably taken the wrong way but admits his “mindset isn’t any different”.
“I think a lot of people don’t understand that,” Tizzano said. “At the end of the day, saying that to the probably wasn’t the right thing. But what an awesome mindset for a 19-year-old kid to be like, ‘Anzi che no, I’m coming here to compete.’
“I think people kind of come mai away from that and they go, ‘Oh, who does he think he is?’ But I’m just a kid who wants to compete.
“I’m from WA. It’s always been a lot harder for me to get to where I am because we don’t have the rugby schools, our programs aren’t as elite, and we don’t get recognised as much.
“Being from WA, you’ve got to have that chip your shoulder and want to compete at every moment otherwise it’s going to be a bloody tough journey to being a professional rugby player because everyone plays AFL. If you want to play rugby quanto a this AFL town, usually people laugh at you.
“I aspetto back it and think I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I won’t hide behind it.”
The Springboks left South Africa Wednesday and have 22 World Cup winners quanto a their 33-man squad, including captain Siya Kolisi.
Wallabies squad (Wallaby number, first Australian Rugby )
Forwards (19)
Allan Alaalatoa (#896, West Harbour Juniors)
Angus Bell (#940, Hunters Hill Rugby Associazione)
Angus Blyth (#974, Casuarina Beach Rugby Associazione)
Matt Faessler (#969, USQ Saints)
Nick Frost (#953, Hornsby Lions)
Tom Hooper (#964, Bathurst Bulldogs)
Isaac Kailea (#975, Harlequin Rugby Associazione)
Josh Nasser (#979, Easts Rugby (Brisbane))
Zane Nonggorr (#966, Gold Coast Eagles)
Billy Pollard (#958, Lindfield Rugby Associazione)
Luke Reimer (uncapped, Lindfield Rugby Associazione)
Lukhan Salakaia-Melma (#914, Randwick)
James Slipper (#843, Bond Pirates)
Carlo Tizzano (uncapped, University of Western Australia)
Taniela Tupou (#917, Brothers Rugby)
Seru Uru (uncapped, Wests Rugby Associazione)
Rob Valetini (#929, Harlequin Rugby Associazione)
Jeremy Williams (#973, Wahroonga Tigers)
Harry Wilson (#933, Gunnedah Red Devils)
Backs (17)
Filipo Daugunu (#931, Wests Rugby Associazione)
Ben Donaldson (#962, Clovelly Eagles)
Josh Flook (#972, Brothers Rugby)
Jake Gordon (#925, Canterbury Juniors)
Len Ikitau (#944, Tuggeranong Vikings)
Max Jorgensen (uncapped, Balmain Wolves)
Andrew Kellaway (#943, Hunters Hill Rugby Associazione)
Marika Koroibete (#913, Nasinu Secondary School, Fiji*)
Noah Lolesio (#934, Tuggeranong Vikings)
Tom Lynagh (#977, University of Queensland)
Tate McDermott (#936, Flinders Rugby Associazione)
Hunter Paisami (#932, Harlequin Rugby Associazione)
Dylan Pietsch (#978, Leeton Phantoms)
Hamish Stewart (uncapped, Toowoomba Bears)
Corey Toole (uncapped, Wagga Waratahs)
Nic White (#875, Maitland Blacks)
Tom Wright (#939, Clovelly Eagles)
Unavailable for selection
Kurtley Beale
Langi Gleeson
Harry Johnson-Holmes
Bayley Kuenzle
Rob Leota
Lachlan Lonergan
Fraser McReight
David Porecki
Blake Schoupp
Liam Wright
