Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi have passionately outlined their commitment to the Wallabies jersey after coming under fire for withdrawing from the spring tour.
It was confirmed on Thursday Cooper, Kerevi and Sean McMahon would remain in Japan rather than travel with the rest of the Wallabies squad to the United Kingdom for the remaining three Tests of the tour.
Their withdrawals come amidst a large exodus of players from Dave Rennie's original 37-man squad, with the likes of Marika Koroibete, Pone Fa'amausili Tom Banks, Reece Hodge also becoming unavailable recently either through injury or personal reasons.
The star trio will return to their respective Japanese club sides, however, given Rugby Australia's usually strict eligibility rules, run the risk of never pulling on the Wallabies' green and gold again.
Both Cooper and Kerevi took to Instagram on Thursday night to address the matter.
“I’ve changed what I’ve wanted to write on this post many times. I’ve felt angry, sad, confused, betrayed but mostly heart broken,” Kerevi's post read.
“I’m trying my best to let God take control instead of letting my emotions take over... But be careful, God has a way of bringing out the TRUTH one way or the other. He has his ways of humbling us all!
“I thank my club @sungoliath_official for allowing me this opportunity during my holiday to continue to pursue that dream.
“I cherish my time in the Wallaby gold and having this opportunity to again represent this country has been amazing. Most importantly my teammates who we grow with each day through the highs and lows & Dave and his staff for their efforts the past few months.
“It’s never any one players jersey! You need strong shoulders when you put that jersey on because you carry the history of all the players of the past that paid it forward as I will one day leave it for the next. That time may be now and if it is, I will forever be grateful to have had played a part in the Wallaby journey.
“One thing, don’t ever question my love for it!”
Cooper, whose withdrawal came two days after that of McMahon and Kerevi's, said he was also heartbroken and hopes to play for his country again.
“My growth as a man is being able to admit I’m hurt,” he wrote.
“It hurts that I won’t be on tour to Europe with my teammates, especially after experiencing so much growth and overcoming challenges each week.
“I’m hurt that I couldn’t please everyone and keep both my employer and country happy. But although I am hurting now, the happiness I feel from my journey to this point far outweighs the hurt.
“I am so thankful to everyone, from my club @hanazono_kintetsu_liners for allowing me to play for Australia again, to Renz and the @wallabies staff for inviting me in to what proved to be an incredible atmosphere and for all your efforts the past few months but most of all to my teammates and brothers.
“We challenge each other to be better each day and as a result we saw enormous growth both as men and as athletes. Thank you for making the last few months possible.
“This journey has no finish line and my efforts to continue to walk this path will not change.
“What’s meant to be will be.”
Overseas-based players that don't meet the original criteria of 60 Test caps or seven years of domestic experience are normally ineligible to play for the Wallabies. Although, these rules have been loosened over the past 18 months to give Rennie greater selection scope.
It's seen the likes of Cooper and Kerevi return to the fold and play vital roles in Rennie's side's resurgence, with last week's 33-23 win over Japan their fifth-straight victory leading into Tests against Scotland, England and Wales over the next month.
Rennie said recently he was unsure whether Kerevi and McMahon, who both don't meet the original criteria, will be allowed to play for the Wallabies again if the eligibility rules are restored as expected.
“They’re discussions we need to have with the board,” Rennie told reporters earlier this week.
“I think they wanted to test the waters and see how it works.
“We’ve really appreciated the support (from RA) but by the end of the tour we’ll be in a position to discuss what that looks like beyond this year.”
