Blockbusting Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi is confident the team’s fortunes will change in their second Bledisloe Cup match against the All Blacks today after their slow start in 2023.
The Wallabies are looking to avoid their fourth straight defeat ahead in their final Test before the side heads to France for the World Cup.
“That’s the thing with success, you can do all the right things, tick all the boxes and still fall short,” Kerevi told reporters.
“For us, it’s about the confidence in what we’ve been doing and building on it because it’s a long year and there’s a bigger prize at the end. We didn’t get the prizes we wanted earlier in the year against South Africa and the Bledisloe.”
“I think as Aussies we want to play, we’re an attacking side.”
“We want the ball in our hand and from the first (Bledisloe) Test it was one of the most (ball in play) minutes we’ve had in a long time so it’s great preparation for us as a team.”
Kerevi has pleaded to the fans to understand the sacrifices the players and staff has done in building a strong Wallabies team.
“They can say their comments over socials but the team sticks tight because we know what we’ve sacrificed. We understand how the fathers have stayed away from their kids and all the commentators they may read or not, it can affect the team.”
“We’ve tried to only look at the answers because they will only come from inside this group and we’ve extremely worked to stay in it because we could’ve gone away and let more games blow out but for us, it’s trust in the coaching staff and the sacrifices they have made and stick through because at the end, we believe we’re going to get what we’re working hard for.”
“We believe by the end of the year when we look back, this trial of fire is what the team will be made of. So you can stick by us or not, but we’re sticking by each other.”
Kerevi will once again partner Jordan Petaia in the centres as Len Ikitau continues his recovery from a broken scapula.
“For (Petaia), he’s played on the wing or fullback and if you ask him, he’d saw fullback because he loves being at the back but since 2019, I’ve always loved him in the centres,” Kerevi added.
“He’s a big body who has great skills and pace in that space. For him, it’s going to be wherever he is most effective for the team.”
The Wallabies vs All Blacks match will kick off at 7.05pm in Dunedin today.
