Wallabies ace Marika Koroibete has dropped a huge hint that he wants to be considered to play against the Lions next year. The Japan-based star was left out of the Spring Tour, although he had recovered from a broken wrist suffered in The Rugby Championship. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt confirmed Koroibete, who will turn 33 during next year’s Lions series, was rested from the tour after failing to reach any heights during the winter down under.
“He’s just having a break, to be honest,” the Wallabies coach said when discussing Koroibete’s omission. “He probably felt he wasn’t at the very top of his game and he was a little bit flat after the season that he’d had. “He’s required to be back and training with Panasonic (Wild Knights, his club in Japan) reasonably soon.
So he’s going to get a break and then he’ll head back and he’s not a player that we (Rugby Australia) own so that’s part of the flexibilities that we need to have.” More Rugby It was thought that Koroibete was ready to retire from international rugby after the World Cup, but he answered Schmidt’s call this year. The coach was non-committal on whether that was the end of the road for the former NRL flyer.
“They’re discussions that will probably take place March/April next year, to see how he is going,” Schmidt said when asked if Koroibete could face the Lions next year. “I watch his Panasonic games, I know Robbie Deans well enough to have a chat to see how he [Koroibete] is goi.
