Skip to content

Australia's Israel Folau vows to 'attack the ball at every opportunity' against All Blacks

Israel Folau

Israel Folau insists he will continue to aggressively challenge for the ball in the air when Australia take on the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday.

In his last match for the Wallabies, Folau received a one-match ban after he he sent Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony sprawling as the pair collided under a high ball during their contentious final Test.

Australia's Israel Folau contests a high ball with Ireland's Peter O'Mahony
Image: Australia's Israel Folau contests a high ball with Ireland's Peter O'Mahony

Despite the incident, Folau has vowed not to change the way he competes for high balls against the New Zealanders, who possess their own potent aerial weapon in Jordie Barrett.

"I believe my technique is fair play and I'll attack the ball at every opportunity I get to try to win possession for the team," he told reporters ahead of Saturday's opening Rugby Championship match at ANZ Stadium, which is live on Sky Sports.

"That mindset won't change."

fOLAU
Image: Israel Folau is yellow carded after bringing down Peter O'Mahony

Folau, who dismissed speculation he would play in the centres rather than at fullback, believes Australia are closing the gap on the back-to-back world champions.

He said Saturday's match, which doubles as the first fixture of the three-Test Bledisloe Cup, was a chance to build on Australia's 23-18 win the last time the two sides met in Brisbane last October.

Also See:

"Last year we really built a good foundation within our team, we came so close in the second game and managed to get the win in the third one," he said.

"It was a good finish, but was a just a taste of the potential the team can fulfil."

Matt Toomua will join the Melbourne Rebels after the 2018–19 Premiership Rugby season
Image: Matt Toomua will join the Melbourne Rebels after the 2018/19 Premiership Rugby season

Utility back Matt Toomua said Australia wanted to make amends for the heavy losses suffered in the past two matches against the All Blacks in Sydney, with the world champions winning 42-8 in 2016 and 54-34 last year.

"We owe the Sydney crowd something," he said. "Unfortunately we haven't done well here in a little while, so it's time to give them something to cheer about."

Toomua is back with the Wallabies after a two-year absence and said he had learned a lot playing in England for Leicester Tigers, where he will stay until the conclusion of the 2018/19 Premiership rugby season, when he will join the Melbourne Rebels.

"There's a lot more problem solving as a playmaker," he said "I think that's quite good mentally, to find ways to win against different teams and different styles of play."

Live Rugby Championship

Around Sky