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Israel Folau to face Australian opposition this November
By AAP
The Western Force are set to come up against a familiar face in November after they locked in two pre-season games against Israel Folau's Japanese side Urayasu D-Rocks.
The Force will take on D-Rocks at Urayasu Park in Chiba in a two-game series on November 6 and 12.
The matches will form a crucial part of the Force's preparations for the coming Super Rugby Pacific season under new coach Simon Cron.
Folau's participation would add an extra element of intrigue to the matches.
The 33-year-old's contract with the Wallabies was terminated by Rugby Australia in 2019 after his controversial social media post that said "hell awaits" drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators.
Folau, who notched 73 Tests for the Wallabies, has set his sights on playing for Tonga at the 2023 World Cup.
But his Tonga debut on July 2 in the Pacific Nations Cup was a disaster, with Folau suffering a serious hamstring injury in the f irst half of a 36-0 loss to Fiji.
Folau is still recovering from the injury but is expected to be fit by November.
Force general manager of rugby Matt Hodgson said the trip to Japan would help build match fitness and skill, as well as promote team bonding.
"This is a great opportunity for new players to combine with the current crop and form connections," Hodgson said.
"By travelling together, you get to know your teammates away from rugby, assisting considerably in forming a coherent playing group."
The Queensland Reds will take on the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan on November 4, while the Melbourne Rebels will face the Kintetsu Liners.
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Latest Comments
Good summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
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