Star Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi says he had “head noise” after rupturing his ACL playing sevens at the Commonwealth Games, but has no regrets and believes he can get back to his explosive best next year at the Rugby World Cup.
The Wallabies missed Kerevi during a tense 39-37 loss to the All Blacks in Melbourne on Thursday night, but are prepared to be without arguably their most destructive player until next year.
Kerevi, as he did at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, linked with Australia’s sevens side for a shot at Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham in July. But disaster struck in the pool matches when he limped from the field against minnows Kenya. Officials were tight-lipped on the injury at the time but confirmed days later Kerevi had done his ACL.
On loan from his Japanese side, Kerevi was anxious about how his primary employer would react but said the club understood the situation.
“I thought I had cracked a bone, [but] I got up, walked off and felt fine,” said Kerevi, who travelled to Melbourne to watch the Wallabies in the first of their two Bledisloe Cup matches. “Then the doc was having a look. He said something about there being no end point for my ACL. I started getting head noise.
“An hour later, I accepted what was going on, whatever the outcome was. After the scans came back, it showed I ruptured it. I understand it’s part of footy. I have no regrets.
Samu Kerevi was ruled out for the season after suffering a serious knee injury playing for Australia at the Commonwealth Games.Credit:PA
“I was not sure how they [Tokyo Sungoliath] were going to react at the time, but after speaking to them, they have been really supportive. They understand it’s part of footy. No one wants to get injured, and it’s part of the game. They’ve been supportive, and I’ll be heading back in December to finish my rehab there.”
Speaking for the first time since the injury, Kerevi gave Wallabies fans a dose of good news before next year’s World Cup, which starts in September.
“The best case would be [a return in] April or May,” Kerevi said. “That would be when I’m ready to be back. The latest would be May. Hopefully, I get a couple of [Japanese League One] games in before finals. There’s bigger fish to fry next year.”
At the beginning of his recovery, Kerevi sought out one of Australia’s finest inside-centres, Tim Horan, for advice on how he overcame a similar injury nearly 30 years ago.
Samu Kerevi is confident he will be back to his best by the time the World Cup starts next September.Credit:Getty
In 1994, Horan tore the cruciate and medial ligaments in his knee, as well as damaging cartilage. A dislocated patella pushed the recovery out to more than 12 months.
There was, however, a coincidence in their recoveries.
“The same doctor that operated on him, operated on me,” Kerevi said. “Hopefully I get some good luck from that. Shout out to Peter Myers, he’s a great surgeon and has been telling me a lot of great stories about boys that have come back from an ACL. I have a lot of confidence I’ll come back fine.”
Provided Kerevi’s recovery goes well, he will be available for all Wallabies Tests next year, should he be selected.
Kerevi was part of the Wallabies side, under former coach Michael Cheika, that lost a quarter-final to England at the 2019 World Cup.
The Wallabies have slumped to ninth in the world following Thursday’s loss to the All Blacks. It is Australia’s lowest ranking, less than a year from the World Cup in France.
“I’m not good [at watching on the sideline],” Kerevi said. “I’m itching to get out there and contribute. It’s so hard for me to watch. It’s a lot easier though to watch from the sideline and see things we could have done better in hindsight.”
Kerevi has played outside No.10 Bernard Foley in many Wallabies Tests since he made his debut in 2016.
The man affectionately known as “Iceman” was one of Australia’s best players in Melbourne and put his name up in lights to be in the selection conversation for the World Cup.
“He brings a lot of calmness to the team,” Kerevi said of Foley. “He’s played a lot of Test footy and won a lot with the Waratahs.”
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