Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'That's the focus': Lukhan Salakaia-Loto sets sights on Wallabies recall

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in preseason training for the Rebels. Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto has set his sights on a Wallabies recall under new coach Joe Schmidt as he looks to impress on his return to Super Rugby Pacific with Melbourne.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 27-year-old lock-cum-backrower was a stand-out for the Rebels in their trial match win over the Waratahs in early February, with the team having a final pre-season hit-out against the Fijian Drua in Melbourne on Friday.

Looking fit and lean, Salakaia-Loto said he felt settled in his new home, which was being reflected on the field.

Video Spacer

Video Spacer

“Footy (Melbourne coach Kevin Foote) and the boys have made the transition quite easy for me,” Salakaia-Loto told AAP.

“I’m just bringing what I can to the group, and hopefully it’s adding in a positive way.

“It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time and being home back in Australia, settled in with my family, certainly helps.

“I’m happy as well, which is a reflection of the environment and the group of boys who we’ve got here, and the coaching staff.”

Salakaia-Loto spent last year with English club Northampton, which he said helped him evolve as a player and person after nine seasons with Queensland.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Just the change itself is the biggest thing – change can be such a positive thing,” he said.

Related

“I was in the same place (Queensland Reds) for about nine years, so to experience something else and see things from a different perspective certainly helped my game grow.

“Taking my family overseas and experiencing a new lifestyle has benefited me and hopefully it’ll show this year.”

Salakaia-Loto played a match for Australia A last year but missed World Cup selection.

ADVERTISEMENT

He said he was hungry to add to his 30 Tests under Schmidt, who has replaced Eddie Jones as Wallabies coach.

“One hundred per cent – that’s definitely one of the big motivators as to why I came home,” he said of potential Test selection.

“But you know, you don’t get to that level if you don’t perform at Super Rugby level – so that’s the goal and that’s the focus.

“Hopefully the performances as a team at the Rebels will lead to guys going on to push for higher honours.”

The future of the cash-strapped Rebels beyond 2024 remains in doubt and Salakaia-Loto admitted the uncertainty was unsettling, but he hoped the players could use it as a driving force.

“It’s put us in a real good position to turn it into a positive as a group,” he said.

“This season is fully in our control and that’s awesome, because it’s in our hands, it’s our fate and we decide our destiny.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

F
Flankly 1 hour ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'World-class finisher' offers All Blacks selection solution Mark Tele'a scores a double at Allianz Stadium
Search