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Quiet exit for Wallaby great
By Online Editors
One of Australia's greatest players has confirmed his time is up in Wallaby gold, speaking to foxsports.com.au inside centre Matt Giteau has predicted his last game for Australia has already been played.
“I haven’t officially retired,” Giteau said.
“I haven’t made a big song and dance and a big banner or anything that says, ‘I’m retired.’
“I don’t know if I see the need to do that.
“There are better players than me in my position in Australian rugby.
“When you’ve got that and you can recognise that, I think that’s a clear enough sign that your time is up, for me, internationally.”
The 35-year-old centre is still playing in the Japan Top League for Suntory Sungoliath after a 16-year career which saw him win a Super Rugby title with the Brumbies in 2004, play in two Rugby World Cup finals with the Wallabies (2003, 2015), a stint with the now exiled Western Force, three European titles with glamour club Toulon (2013, 2014, 2015) and a Top 14 French league title (2014). He added a Japan Top League title to his resume when Suntory won in January.
His decorated 103 test career will also be remembered for the 'Giteau' rule, brought in specifically so he could be eligible for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, despite playing for Toulon in France. The rule allowed players with at least 60-test caps based overseas to continue playing for the Wallabies.
“I’m just going to keep supporting him and helping out wherever I can, if there is an opportunity to help out,” Giteau said.
“But from a playing point of view, I’d think that’s it.”
Giteau is only one of eight players to play 100 tests for the Wallabies and will go down as one of their best ever players.
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Latest Comments
The extent to which rugby pundits in NZ rely on their rose tinted spectacles really baffles me. Anton Lienert-Brown has been a good but nothing more player for a few seasons now. For an experienced player he gives a maddening amount of penalties and yellow cards too so I don’t give him any credit for all that experience.
If you had a clean slate and knew nothing about history, the guy wouldn’t be anywhere near people’s choice for 13 (or 12) if you only watch super rugby the last couple of seasons. Bailyn Sullivan / Billy Proctor / AJ Lam / Tavatavanawai to just just a few have all looked miles better than ALB.
How on earth does that end up with people saying he should be in the squad let alone starting. We have to move on from these type of players - he was never a great player and we have so many alternate options.
There is a group of mediocre players that we need to clear out, or at least try other options. We know how limited that group are, now is the time to see if some other talent can step up (the time was last year, but anyway…).
Jacobson, ALB, Papali’i, Christie, Lord, Havili, Reece. Just move on from them all and try for some upside. Thank god Cane/Perenara have finally moved on because they were in this camp too.
Go to commentsI don't think that Razor would have had Mo’unga as back up to anyone! But in his absence DMac definitely deserved to start in Paris.
The system is working well but I hope they've reviewed whether they could have done anything more to retain Mo’unga & Frizell. As you say, could they have been more flexible?
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