League convert Vunivalu set to be unleashed against England
SYDNEY : Suliasi Vunivalu's switch from rugby league has not gone smoothly, but the winger should finally get his chance to show his ability at test level in Australia's series decider against England on Saturday.
An exceptional finisher even by the high standards of the National Rugby League, the 26-year-old scored a length-of-field intercept try in his last game for the Melbourne Storm to help them win the 2020 Grand Final.
Being named on the Wallabies bench for the Sydney Cricket Ground test, however, comes at the end of two years of injury heartache that have disrupted the high-profile recruit's progress in the 15-man game.
Back-to-back hamstring injuries mean Vunivalu's gametime has been limited and if he gets on the pitch on Saturday, he will be playing only his 14th game of professional rugby union.
"He's an amazing athlete, a really good guy, he's fit into the team really well," Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said on Friday.
"Everyone was pretty pumped to see him get an opportunity because he's had a tough initiation into rugby. But... he's got an opportunity now, he's a big game player and hopefully he can come on at a time and change a game around."
Vunivalu would not be the first rugby league convert to make an impact for the Wallabies at outside back and is following a trail blazed by Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri, Israel Folau and current Wallaby Marika Koroibete.
"The main goal coming over to rugby was to play for the (Queensland) Reds and don the gold jersey," Vunivalu told reporters on Thursday.
"I feel grateful to be able to play in this third game and decider in Sydney. It's been a long time coming."
He said there had been times when he had questioned whether leaving the NRL was a good decision.
"I was in a really dark place," he added. "I did my hammy and then did it again, that's when I started to think 'far out, I've never done this before in league, maybe the game is different here'."
