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How a Wallaby helped steer Ben Te'o's switch to union
England centre Ben Te’o has revealed a conversation with housemate Israel Folau in Sydney convinced him to change codes and try to become a rugby union success.
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Te’o has gone on to become an England and British and Irish Lions centre and one of his main tasks tomorrow at Twickenham will be helping shut down the threat Folau will pose in an Australian jersey in the final test of the November campaign.
The pair shared a house in the Kensington suburb of Sydney and it proved to be a key moment in the Worcester Warriors centre’s career and he quit league in 2014 to join Leinster and then moved to England to launch his test career.
Te’o said: “I played with Izzy a lot and against him and he is a class player. We have to keep him quiet, not kick the ball straight down to him and let him gallop back. I haven’t spoken to him yet but will catch up after the game and we used to live together.
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“We were both coming through and I am really happy with the progression he made having played three different codes and he is one of the top full backs in the world and I am just trying to follow his lead. I never imagined I would play Test rugby against an old room mate and its funny how things work out. Izzy was one of the guys when I was going to make the change from league I went to and had a deep conversation and asked for his honest opinion if he thought I could make it and he backed me and said “give it a go mate”.
“My main concern about switching from league was if I was going to be good enough. I wanted to know if Izzy thought I had the tools and if they could transfer into rugby union and he said I would so I gave it a go.
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“He was a good housemate and it was early in his union career and he is a hard worker. He always puts into his preparation and we shared the differences about the games and he is very driven in his career and that is something I took away.”
Te’o, the former South Sydney Rabbitohs star, was hoping to catch up with good mate Kurtley Beale but he failed to make the Wallaby 23 for the game with England. “Kurtley is very good friend of mine and I was surprised that he didn’t make the squad. I was looking forward to having a game against him and he is a world class player” added Te’o.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments