Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi insists there's no bad blood as he prepares to play Wales again in a World Cup with plenty on the line.
In 2019, Kerevi was infamously penalised when he was carrying the ball and attempted to fend off would-be tackler Rhys Patchell in the 38th minute of the match, collecting the flyhalf with his elbow.
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The play ended up being a key decider of the Test and the Pool. Patchell went on to slot the resulting penalty goal, followed by a Gareth Davies intercept try minutes later, leaving the Wallabies down by 15 at the half.
They go on to lose by four, finishing second in the Pool before being eliminated by runners-up England
Whilst Kerevi admits he hasn't changed his style, the centre believes a lot has changed since.
"It’s all a blur now," he laughed to reporters. "We didn’t play to our full potential and a few little incidents in the game that were bizarre for me. I feel like it’s gone so quick now.
"...Definitely didn’t change the way I carry. Referees have a tough job and we understand that everything is moving quickly, they make split second decisions and everyone’s in the ear about that. I can’t blame anyone there, it is what it is and we move on.
"Four years ago didn’t seem so long ago but I think Jordy and I were speaking about the last World Cup was the last time we played together and you fast forward and we’re here again. We’re both a bit older, he’s not the young pup anymore.
"That was an important game and it always is against Wales and anyone in our pool. No game is guaranteed, really excited for this challenge to turn the tide on what happened last time.
Kerevi was brutal about his own form, conceding last week's defeat against Fiji was well below his lofty standards.
"I personally didn’t think I did that well," he said.
"I thought their backline outplayed us and full credit to them. They played outstanding and our discipline wasn’t great in that game but we unpacked that a couple of days ago and we’ve moved on to Wales."
The inside centre understands the importance of Monday's (AEST) game, looking to control the nerves and alleviate the pressure.
"I don’t think we’re talking about four years ago. This is a whole new group, new World Cup even though it’s similar sides of the pool. The pressure is just from this week and the pressures from outside, we know we just have to put aside," he added
"We have to focus on our preparation and how we deal with it in our own team in the circle
"We’ve been practicing at training because it doesn’t just come from in games, it has to come from training and the way we connect with each other, get through our plays and how it looks on the field. The more we can connect and put ourselves under pressure, the more we’ll deal with it in the game."
