Wallabies coach Robbie Deans believes Israel Folau has the chance to become “an absolute legend of the game” if he remains in rugby union for the long haul.
More immediately, British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland is more concerned about combating Folau’s deadly aerial skills during his side’s looming nine-match tour of Australia.
While Deans, despite being hugely impressed by Folau’s transition to rugby, is refusing to guarantee the code hopper a place in his Wallabies squad for the three-Test series, Gatland is convinced the former Kangaroos rugby league star and AFL experiment will be involved.
“We expect him to be named in the squad,” Gatland said after unveiling his own 37-man squad for the seven-week tour.
“I presume from a political and a commercial point of view, he’s a player that Australia wants to encourage to stay in the game and not to go back to league as well.
“He’s good for the game someone of that profile, so hopefully he stays in union as well.”
Deans will name a preliminary 25-man Wallabies squad on May 19 and Gatland said Folau was “definitely a player that we need to keep an eye on”.
“We know what a physical talent he is, obviously having played with the Melbourne Storm, gone to the AFL and now being back in rugby,” Gatland said.
“He’s improving from week to week. He’s scoring tries, creating tries and is fantastic in the air and I expect Australia will use him – and I suspect they’ll use him as a kicking option to receive the ball in the air.
“He was used to great success at the Melbourne Storm and for Australia with cross kicks as well.”
Currently in South Africa with the NSW Waratahs, Folau has proven a revelation since making his Super Rugby debut just nine games ago, prompting Deans to pick the 24-year-old in a Wallabies squad for a logistics camp last month.
“But in terms of whether he’ll be with us (for the Lions series), we’ll make those decisions in time,” Deans said on Wednesday.
“But clearly he’s got components in his game that would be great to have.
“We’ve got a selectors’ meeting today and those are conversations we’ll be having.
“We’ll have a much smaller squad (than the Lions) so we won’t have the luxury of being able to hoard.
“We’ll have to make some decisions and we’ll start with obviously the group that is going to run out and then we’ll look at what we’ll do in terms of off the bench.
“But yes Israel does some things that no one else can do. It’s remarkable what he can do for a bloke who’s playing his 10th game of rugby.
“So whatever happens, let’s hope he sticks around because he could be an absolute legend of the game if he does.”