Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi has issued an impassionate plea, confident the team's fortunes to close to turning around after their slow start to 2023.
The Wallabies will be looking to avoid their fourth straight defeat when they face the All Blacks in Dunedin on Saturday.
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It is the final Test before the side heads to France for the World Cup, where they will play the hosts just days before their opening game against Georgia on September.
“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.
“From the outside, people don’t understand the sacrifice the players and staff does. 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.
The pair started together in the 2019 World Cup and whilst Petaia has found himself used more in the back three, Kerevi believes the 23-year-old can add significant value in the midfield.
“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 remarked.
“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.
“We want to get him the ball so getting him to 13 is a great place for that but his ability can be played in any position…we’re just hoping to keep building that combination and the other centres keep pushing us in that place.”
The opening Bledisloe Test at the MCG was a fast-flowing affair, with close to 45 minutes of ball in play time.
With perfect conditions ensured for Saturday thanks to Forsyth Barr Stadium's enclosed roff, Kerevi welcomed the added focus as it looms to be a vital factor at next month's hallmark event.
“I think as Aussies we want to play, we’re an attacking side," he added.
“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.”
