Folau’s Flying Start
In just over 12 months, Israel Folau has become the most exciting rugby union player in Australia. Having bounced from NRL to AFL, it certainly appears that Folau has found his calling in the 15-a-side code. In his two Super Rugby games thus far, he has destroyed both the Force and the Reds to help his Waratahs to a maximum 10 points from those games.
Perhaps the scariest thing for Folau's opponents is the fact that he said he is finally starting to understand the game of rugby. Last year he was one of the nation's best despite never having played the game before. 2013 was essentially a crash course in rugby for Folau as he was able to get by on his natural athleticism but he still made a massive impact.
2014 is a chance for Folau to hone those skills that he put to good use last year as he now is beginning to understand what is required of him. While his defensive work could still use some coaching, his impact on the Waratahs attack so far has been immense. What has stood out in general play is the ability of Folau to time his runs into the backline and create a tactical advantage. Last season there was simply a physical advantage, now Folau is also learning how to create an advantage for his team with some well-timed runs to finish off moves.
The Waratahs have only played two games so far this year but right now they have been an entertaining and exciting team to watch, much to the chagrin of Force and Reds fans. While he is not the only reason, the stellar form of Israel Folau so far has been a big reason why. It is clear that he is a much more polished player than this time last year and it is paying dividends for both player and team. For the fans it will be interesting to see if this high-flying attack can keep up its current pace as the grind of the season begins to set in. If Folau can keep up his current scoring pace it will be good not only for the Waratahs but the Wallabies as well as he is looking as a potential X-Factor for the upcoming international season.
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By James Caughlin