Quiet exit for Wallaby great
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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Dont know if the Irish players said it or not, but lets all be honest with ourselves, and hopefully both the Irish and French have healed by now, the Media did jump the gun, be realistic, according to 90% of the media it was a France and Ireland final, and the media had 1 of them winning the world cup, not even mentioning the All blacks? Just remember world cups are different, Australia was not the most in form cricket tean in the last cricket world cup, but they have a nack of winning when it matters. I wont go into whether what Etzabeth is saying is true, all I am saying is that its very easy for a team to get ahead of themselves due to the media. Nothing wrong with it, the media got the springboks over confident against England and we nearly lost that one.
Go to commentsHey Finn, Well done to the Junior Wallabies…a win is a win but it was a wet and scrappy game. Would be interesting to hear your opinion on two things from watching the game at the Not So Sunny Coast Stadium. Firstly, what is your opinion on the rule change of being able to call The Mark from a kick off and what is the reason for the change? Secondly, your thoughts on the lack of action for the high tackle on the SA fullback. I understand the TMO ruled that he had fallen into the tackle and the tackler didn’t have time to adjust but it was clearly shoulder on head and the Aussie 11 had not made any attempt to adjust his tackle height leading into the tackle. In my opinion he was never going to get his tackle technique correct to complete a safe tackle. If that tackle was made at a more senior and more scrutinised level would we have seen the same result?
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