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Bledisloe Cup: Wallabies forced into Israel Folau centre shift

Rugby

Israel Folau is all but certain to start in the centres for the Wallabies for the first time in Saturday's third and final Bledisloe Cup clash of the year against the All Blacks.

An underdone Samu Kerevi on Tuesday virtually ruled himself out of contention to start as the replacement for injured No.13 Reece Hodge, saying he was probably only good for 30 minutes after being sidelined himself for four months.

It means Kerevi is likely to start on the bench and Folau will run on at outside centre for the first time in his 70-Test career at Nissan Park in Yokohama. Folau has started 61 Tests at fullback and eight - including the past three this year - on the wing.

Kerevi only made his comeback from a torn bicep in last Saturday's Byron Bay Sevens event.

"We ended up playing two games because one of the teams forfeited a game so we played touch in between that," he said. "So I think got about 12 minutes in the first game and then a whole game in the second, so I had the lungs blowing and got the cobwebs out.

"I've been doing rehab for, I think, for 14, 15 weeks now - straight lines and gym is nice and all but playing footy is something different."

While heartened by his performance and happy to put his hand up for Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, Kerevi conceded he wasn't ready for a full Test - let alone against the world champion All Blacks.

"But I'll back myself to play a solid 30 minutes and see where I go from there, if the legs keeping going over," said the Fijian-born star. "Hopefully if I get the opportunity this week or next week, whenever it comes, I'll take it with both hands."

Folau's impending move to the centres will give the Wallabies an all-NSW midfield of Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale and Folau.

While he is untried in the centres at Test level, Folau did perform admirably in the position outside Foley and Beale when asked to play in the front line for the Waratahs at stages during the 2016 and 2017 Super Rugby seasons.

Cheika will name his team on Thursday.

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