‘Very proud day’ awaits ex-Wallaby as he follows in his late father’s footsteps

Former Wallabies and London Irish lock Adam Coleman is raring to go for Tonga as he makes his Test debut against Scotland in the Rugby World Cup.

Coleman played 38 Test matches for Australia, the last of which came during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Four years later, Coleman switched international allegiances to his country of birth, Tonga, and the nation that his late father Pau’u Lolohea-Afeaki captained.

Full circle

“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 named on Tonga’s bench, but when he comes onto the pitch, he will front up against a former Wallabies teammate, Jack Dempsey.

“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.”

Tonga’s slow start

Coleman’s debut for Tonga has been delayed due to injuries, but he is keen to put those behind him as he makes 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 really looking forward to getting stuck in get back to what I love. No one likes rehab, you sit in the chair, and everyone is having fun out on the field.”

Ireland defeated the Pacific Islanders 59-16, and forwards coach Zane Hilton hopes his side will execute better against Scotland after shaking off the rust against the top-ranked side.

“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.”

READ MORE: Scotland v Tonga preview: Gregor Townsend’s men to get back on track in bruising battle