Japan team to play Wallabies in rugby Test Ben Gunter Jack Cornelsen
3 min read
Japan’s forward pack to take on the Wallabies in Oita tomorrow will have a strong Australian flavour with the uncapped Ben Gunter joining compatriots Jack Cornelsen and James Moore in the starting lineup.
Gunter, 23, will make his Test debut at blindside flanker ahead of former captain Michael Leitch, who has been named on the bench.
Japan coach Jamie Joseph said he was looking for loose forwards who could « play the game at speed » and described Gunter as a player « with potential. »
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« Being Australian and representing Japan, playing against his countrymen will be something special for him, » Joseph said.
Gunter will line up against former Brisbane Boys’ College teammates Len Ikitau and Darcy Swain.
« I think it’s a pretty cool story and it’s great that we can stay in contact, » Gunter told Wide World of Sports ahead of his selection.
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« But come gameday, if I’m on the field and they’re on the field, there’s no friends on the footy field. I’ll be trying to hit them harder than they’re hitting me. »
After failing to win a Super Rugby spot in Australia, Gunter was lured to Japan by former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, who offered him a contract with the Panasonic Wild Knights.
« It would be a fairytale story to have my debut against Australia, » Gunter told WWOS.
« That would be a dream come true. Whether or not I’m in the team I’m still happy and proud of myself to be a part of this environment.
« If you’d asked me five years ago what I thought I’d be doing, I would have said in the army or a farmer or something. To be involved in this environment, I’ve already accomplished a lot of goals and proven a lot of people wrong.
« My next goal is to prove a couple more people wrong and prove something to myself as well, that I’m an international rugby player. »
Lock Cornelsen is also a terrific story.
He is the son of Wallabies hall of famer Greg Cornelsen, who famously scored four tries in a Test against the All Blacks in 1978.
Like Gunter, Cornelsen was overlooked by Australian Super Rugby clubs and joined Deans at the Wild Knights.
« Growing up it wasn’t the path I imagined that I’d have taken but how quickly things can change, » Cornelsen told AAP.
« Dad’s always been supportive of the path I’ve gone on now. He’s backed the decision to come over here and hopefully he’ll be wearing red and white on the weekend. »
Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is still unsure whether Kintetsu Liners five-eighth Quade Cooper will continue on tour to the United Kingdom after the Japan Test.
« The intention is to take him to Europe, » Rennie said.
« Through this process, like I’ve said, from a regulation nine point of view, we can take Quade with us.
« But we’ve been working through with the club out of courtesy, because we want to have a strong relationship with them. We understand that they’ve got goals and aspirations as well. And they’ve got a competition that starts early January. So we’ve been having constant discussions around it… we think we’ll get a positive resolution. »
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