Folau's form turning a corner

Tue, Nov 8, 2016, 5:55 PM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman
Israel Folau was influential against Wales. Photo: Getty Images
Israel Folau was influential against Wales. Photo: Getty Images

Israel Folau’s not getting ahead of himself, but the star back feels he is starting to return to some of his better form.

Folau’s outing against Wales was among his most influential this season, showing signs of the skills that puts him among the best in the world.

After what he has admitted has been a challenging season, Folau said he was gaining more confidence after that match.

“I was fairly happy with my performance but the guys were very excited after the win,” he said.

“We don't want to get too carried away with that - I guess it's a great platform for us to build from there. - Israel Folau

“You come off the back of the game and there's always something that you want to work on or you weren't happy with, but overall I was pretty comfortable with how things went.

“As a team we're slowly building and wanting to improve each week. I think this week will be a great challenge for us and I'm looking forward to it.”

Folau hasn’t crossed in eight Tests, his longest scoreless run since his 2013 Wallabies debut, but against Wales he had one try assist, two linebreaks and made the most metres of any player.

“The tries are probably a bonus for me. It's always good when you cross the tryline for a meat pie, but the focus is always about the team,” he said.

“I thought the guys really played well so I was happy with how I contributed to the team.”

Israel Folau is rediscovering some of his best form. Photo: Getty ImagesFolau missed last year’s World Cup quarter-final against Scotland through injury but has faced Scotland once through his 49 Tests to this point, in Australia’s most recent Grand Slam attempt in 2013.

The 27-year-old said the Scots’ ability to hang in during games made them a dangerous team, with the Wallabies’ last two wins coming in at just one and six points.

“The thing about Scotland, what I've seen from the past or experienced for myself is that they're a team that is always in there for the whole 80 minutes,” he said.

“For us you'd want to try and start well, like every other game you play, but especially with Scotland - they're a great team that are always in the grind. - Israel Folau

“They're going to be there physically and they've got some really great players in their side.

“I think our focus, like every other week, is always about us as a team and going out there to try and execute the things that we've worked on during the week.”

All of the Wallabies’ Spring Tour Tests will be broadcast LIVE on beIn Sports and streamed LIVE on Foxtel Go (for Foxtel subscribers).

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