Samu Kerevi: Time away from the Australian game has helped

Wallabies powerhouse Samu Kerevi says his time away from Australian rugby has contributed to the maturation in his game and demeanour.

Kerevi, who is celebrating his 28th birthday on Monday, was singled out by Argentina coach Mario Ledesma as the difference in their Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, which the hosts won 27-8 in Townsville.

Ledesma said Kerevi was “more mature and maybe fitter” than when he last ran out against Los Pumas.

The Season | Series 8 | Episode 6

The Season | Series 8 | Episode 6

In the lead-up to the Wallabies’ rematch with Argentina, Kerevi cited his time with Suntory Sungoliath in Japan and the Australian sevens team, plus conversations with Dave Rennie about how he can impact each Test as major factors in his development.

“I feel a bit more calmer out there and try not to do too much,” he said.

“Being away and coming back into the Wallabies group, Dave (Rennie) has simplified my job… and it’s such a detailed game that I know exactly where I need to be.

“The sevens helped a lot with the skill-set as well and the conditioning side of the game – it got me pretty fit.”

Kerevi said he’s learning from the veterans like James Slipper, Quade Cooper and skipper Michael Hooper, while also feeding off the hunger of the younger players in the Wallabies squad.

“It’s just a great storm for me on the field,” he said.

The Fiji-born Kerevi has been outstanding since his Test recall for Australia, who now ride a three-game win streak heading into Saturday’s clash on the Gold Coast.

While Rennie was pleased with the Wallabies’ most recent win, their team review on Monday highlighted specific areas of improvement with a clear focus on shutting teams out in the latter stages of games.

“It was one of those games where you felt a little bit unfulfilled after the game,” prop Slipper said.

“Yeah, we won the Test and that’s great… but most of the individuals involved in the game realise that there was so much more that we can do.

“With the review today it’s identifying where we can improve… but that’s kind of where we are, we lost three games in a row to the All Blacks and took a hit in confidence there.

“We’ve seen three pretty good games off the back of that… but we’ve got a lot of improvement in us and this week is no different.

“The Argentinians will be better so we’re expecting a really hard-fought game.”