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Wallabies player ratings: Ikitau impresses during mixed year for Australian centres

Len Ikitau of Australia runs with the ball during the Autumn Nations Series match between France and Australia on November 05, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

The wounded Wallabies showed plenty of fight, passion and character throughout a tough international season where they failed to win as many games as they probably deserved.

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Time and time again, week after week, indiscipline and inconsistent team selections ultimately hurt the Wallabies who lost a number of crunch clashes by agonisingly small margins.

Australia started their season with a bang, beating rivals England in Perth by two points – but wins proved hard to come by throughout the rest of 2022.

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After losing their next two Test matches against old foes England – and the series on home soil – the men in gold lost four of their next six matches before heading to Europe.

The Wallabies overcame a valiant Scotland at Murrayfield to begin to their five match spring tour, before losing their next three Tests by three points or less – including a first ever loss to Italy.

While they were able to complete an incredible comeback against Wales to finish their season, the disastrous run of form cannot be ignored less than a year out from the World Cup.

The rugby world saw glimpses of greatness from the men in gold throughout both their spring tour and the year as a whole, but they’re just slightly off the pace.

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But don’t rule them out from winning rugby’s greatest prize next year just yet.

This week, RugbyPass will be rating the Wallabies players’ performances from the year that was. After going through the outside backs on Monday, we’re not going to take a look at how the midfielders performed this year.

 

Midfielders

Len Ikitau – 7/10

Played: 13 (12 starts)

Best performance: Argentina I

When Len Ikitau made his international debut last season, rugby fans would’ve been able to tell that there was something special about him – but he’s simply gone to an all new level this year. With Samu Kerevi unavailable for a significant part of this season, the 24-year-old really stood up as a leader. In fact, the Wallabies backline – especially defensively – wouldn’t be the same without Ikitau in the side.

Ikitau played a consistently high level this season as he continued to complete tackle after tackle, and do the things that wouldn’t necessarily make the highlight reel. The Brumbies centre had two standout performances against Los Pumas this year, where he scored a try in each of the two Test matches – and ran for 55+ metres on both occasions.

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But to bring it back to his defnece and leadership, one of his best performances of 2022 came in the Wallabies’ final Test match against Wales. Ikitau made 11 tackles without missing any, was vocal in both attack and defence, and ran the ball six times.

The Wallabies wouldn’t be the same without him.

 

Samu Kerevi – 7

Played: 3 (3 starts)

Best performance: England I

On his day, Samu Kerevi is the best midfielder in international rugby. There’s just no question about it. But unfortunately for both Kerevi and the Wallabies, the star centre wasn’t able to don the coveted gold jersey beyond the July internationals.

Kerevi sustained a significant injury during the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, which ruled him out for the rest of the year. But the 29-year-old was able to play all three Test matches against England – and he starred in each of those Tests.

But the first Test of the year was a great one for Kerevi, who played a crucial role in Australia’s thrilling win over their old foes. Kerevi ran the ball a staggering 15 times for 39 meters, and made six tackles as well.

If Kerevi is fit and available for the World Cup next year, then the Wallabies backline could become extremely interesting.

 

Hunter Paisami – 6.5

Played: 9 (8 starts)

Best performance: Argentina I

Hunter Paisami has to be one of the most exciting and destructive players in Australian rugby right now. Time and time again, Paisami shows how lethal he can be with the ball-in-hand, and how dominant he can be with some major tackles in defence.

Paisami also sustained an injury during the opening few minutes of the crunch clash with Ireland, which later saw him head back to Australia early. It was, certainly at the time, a big blow for the Wallabies ahead of their final Test match of the year.

It’s going to be very interesting to see how the Australian midfield takes shape ahead of next year’s World Cup, with Kerevi and Ikitau also in the mix for starting roles. But similar to former All Black Ngani Laumape, Paisami could cause some major headaches with his impact off the bench.

 

Lalakai Foketi – 6

Played: 3 (3 starts)

Best performance: France

After making his international debut on the Wallabies end-of-season tour last year, Foketi was given another few opportunities to shine in green and gold – before an injury ended his campaign.

Foketi started both Test matches against the All Blacks – including a promising display in the first Bledisloe Cup clash – and was given his next chance to start against France last month. The 27-year-old returned to the Test arena against the world’s second best team and he didn’t skip a beat. In fact, he scored one of the tries of the year, as the Wallabies ran practically the length of the field against Les Bleus.

But unfortunately, injured ended his night in Paris, and was later sent home early from the end-of-season tour.

 

 

Reece Hodge – 6

Played: 1 (1 start) *in the midfield

Best performance: Wales

Reece Hodges’ versatility is simply an invaluable asset to Dave Rennie and the Wallabies selectors. Australia’s Mr Fix It started one Test in the midfield this year – against Wales – and he did the jersey justice with that performance.

Hodge ran the ball hard and with purpose, and also made his mark in defence with nine tackles – the second most tackles made out of the Australian backs. Rennie won’t be able to pick everyone in next year’s World Cup, but a combination of Hodges’ versatility and long-range boot seemingly makes him a likely option.

 

Irae Simone – N/A

Played: 1 (0 starts)

Best performance: Argentina II

Simone only played one Test match this year and it was certainly one of Australia’s worst performances of 2022. And while that’s not a reflection of him or his ability, it’s quite tough to rate a player as a result of that.

The New Zealand-born centre came off the bench in Australia’s disastrous 48-17 loss to Argentina earlier this year. Simone was only able to run the ball once and make four tackles after coming on with just under 20 minutes to play.

Full ratings (to date)

Outside backs

Tom Wright – 7.5

Marika Koroibete – 7.5

Mark Nawaqanitawase – 7

Andrew Kellaway – 6.5

Jordan Petaia – 6

Jock Campbell – 6

Reece Hodge – 5

Suliasi Vunivalu – N/A

Tom Banks – N/A

Izaia Perese – N/A

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Hindi Urdu 1 hour ago
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H
Hindi Urdu 1 hour ago
England explain their backing for Marcus Smith to stay on the kicks

In the early months of 2025, I made a decision that would haunt me for weeks—a decision born out of greed and the allure of quick wealth. I invested 95,000 Bitcoin into an online platform that promised exponential returns. The website looked legitimate, the testimonials seemed convincing, and the numbers they presented were irresistible. But as the days passed, the platform went silent. My investment vanished, and I realized I had fallen victim to a sophisticated scam. I was devastated, feeling like I had lost everything.Desperate for help, I began searching for solutions online. That’s when I discovered *Galaxy Ethical Tech*, a company renowned for its expertise in blockchain forensics and digital asset recovery. Known for their ethical approach and cutting-edge technology, they had a track record of helping people like me recover lost funds. With nothing left to lose, I reached out to them, hoping for a miracle.The team at Galaxy Ethical Tech, led by a brilliant blockchain analyst named *Dr. Elena Voss*, responded immediately. Dr. Voss listened to my story with empathy and assured me they would do everything in their power to help. She explained that while the process would be complex and time-consuming, their advanced tools and expertise gave them a fighting chance.

The recovery process began with a deep dive into the blockchain. Using sophisticated algorithms, Galaxy Ethical Tech traced the movement of my Bitcoin. They identified the wallets where my funds had been transferred and uncovered a network of interconnected accounts designed to obscure the trail. The scammers had used multiple layers of transactions to launder the funds, but Dr. Voss and her team were relentless.Weeks turned into months, and the team kept me updated every step of the way. They worked tirelessly, navigating the labyrinth of the blockchain and collaborating with international authorities to freeze suspicious accounts. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I received the news I had been praying for: Galaxy Ethical Tech had successfully recovered *85,000 Bitcoin* of my lost funds. The remaining amount had been irretrievably laundered, but recovering the majority felt like a miracle.When the funds were securely returned to my wallet, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Dr. Voss and her team didn’t just recover my Bitcoin—they restored my faith in the possibility of justice in the digital world. They also provided me with invaluable advice on how to protect my assets in the future, emphasizing the importance of due diligence and secure storage solutions.Galaxy Ethical Tech didn’t just save me from financial ruin; they gave me a second chance. Their commitment to ethical practices, combined with their unparalleled expertise, made them true heroes in my eyes. From that day forward, I became an advocate for their work, sharing my story as a cautionary tale and a testament to the power of technology used for good. Thanks to Galaxy Ethical Tech, what began as a nightmare ended with hope and a renewed sense of security. contact them via Email: galaxyethicaltech@mail.com Whatsapp: +15072712442 Telegram: Galaxy_ethical_tech

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CV 2 hours ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Yeah I know. Holland is from the area I live in. Him and his brother were at the rugby academy North West over here. You enter an academy here as soon as you go to high school (12) where you train 8 to 10 hours per week. They keep playing for their club on the weekends though, rugby is too small for club academies. Not enough players and money. Good thing is that you stay with your club so they don’t lose players. Top talent usually gets picked up by French clubs. The best of the rest go to the national training centre in Amsterdam where they have a professional set up.


Like everywhere in Europe, seasons run August to May and it’s all club driven. School sports don’t really exist like in NZ or the UK. Even the U7s and us oldies playing walking rugby play a full season. We just have more weeks off because of school holidays, or when the pitch is frozen. Like elsewhere in Europe, the league is a pyramid, so every club can make it to the top tier. Top clubs are semi-pro. Some clubs are part of the development programmes of French pro clubs, next to the six academies (for boys and girls) the union runs. It won’t surprise you that of the Dutch rep teams, about half of those groups play in France. It raised the bar. Players that don’t make it improve the level of the local league when they come back and the ones that do improve the national team. They beat Chile last November and are still in with a chance to make it to the WC in Australia. Women are in the WXV. Still tough because other REC countries, like Spain, Portugal and Belgium are getting better because they have similar setups as Holland does. Look up the REC game highlights on youtube, the level is pretty good.

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