Adam Coleman, a former lock for the Wallabies and the London Irish, is eagerly waiting to play for Tonga when he will be making his Test debut against Scotland during the Rugby World Cup.
Coleman had already participated in 38 Test matches for Australia, with his final one occurring in Japan during the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Four years later, Coleman has decided to shift his allegiance to Tonga, the country of his birth and the country that was once led by his late father, Pau’u Lolohea-Afeaki.
Adam Coleman Completes the Circle: From Wallabies to Tonga for Rugby World Cup Debut
“It’s a very proud day,” Coleman said ahead of the Pool B encounter.
“It is like a full-circle moment for me and my family; the reason I started playing rugby was because of the old man.
“To wear the same fabric that he has worn means it is going to be pretty special tomorrow.”
Coleman has been selected as a substitute for Tonga, but when he enters the pitch, he will face off against Jack Dempsey, a former Wallabies teammate.
“He has always been a world-class player,” Coleman said of his former teammate.
“He is very explosive and a really good carrier, and his work-rate around the park is great. Both of us are thankful to be back playing at international level.
“He has grabbed that opportunity with Scotland. Fair play to him.”
Also Read: Argentina Defeat Samoa to Maintain Their Chances of Advancing in the Rugby World Cup Knockout Stage.
Tonga’s Gradual Beginning
Due to injuries, Coleman’s Tonga debut has been postponed, but he’s eager to leave those setbacks in the past as he prepares for his second Test debut.
“I dislocated my shoulder in February. I played for Bordeaux about 25 minutes off the bench against Racing; that was my first game back in five and a half months,” he said.
“That injury is behind me now. I’m good to go and looking forward to getting stuck in getting back to what I love. No one likes rehab, you sit in the chair, and everyone is having fun out on the field.”
Ireland secured a 59-16 victory over the Pacific Islanders, and their forwards coach, Zane Hilton, thinks that his team will perform better against Scotland once they have overcome some initial performance issues against the top-ranked teams.
“We hadn’t played a game in a month; that’s the reality of our schedule coming in,” Hilton said.
“We certainly believe that we will be far better prepared this week because of the game we had against Ireland. It hurt. There’s no doubt about that.
“For us, it will be about making sure we execute the areas that we need to to be successful.”
