HE'S Australian-born, Australian-made and Australian-played, but this week Fijian fullback Jarryd Hayne will do two things he never thought he'd ever do - play against the Kangaroos ... and get a tattoo.
After Fiji booked a semi-final against Australia with a win over a spirited Ireland last night, Hayne revealed he would now book in his Parramatta teammate Josh Cordoba to tattoo every member of his squad this week, as thanks for the "turning point of my life".
"I've never had a tattoo and I always swore I'd never get one, but this is something special," Hayne said. "I might get 'Fiji Bati' or something like that, just remembering the spirit and remembering the passion."
While they will need more than just spirit and passion to overcome the Australians on Sunday, Hayne said he would take more out of the World Cup than a semi-final.
"It's been the best thing for me," he said. "Being with these boys who play park football for a couple of bucks just to survive ... not once have any of them complained, not once have they said it's too hard ... we've all been equals."
Hayne admitted he would have something to prove against the side he represented in one Test in 2007.
After Fijian coach Joe Dakuitoga confirmed the players would split the $300,000 prizemoney for a semi-final berth, Hayne said he would consider handing over some of his share.
If justice is done, too, something will be put back into the Irish rugby league, after the Wolfhounds became one of the surprise packets of the tournament.
"I don't want people to say, 'well done, you had a good crack', because we're better than that," their captain and five-eighth Scott Grix said.
They were better than many had anticipated. "Even in defeat I'm proud of the guys," coach Andy Kelly said. "I reckon we must have defended for 70 per cent of the game, and we defended manfully right through."
Fiji prevailed predictably in the end, even if it took them until well into the final quarter to put the result beyond doubt, Hayne putting his knee (and Parramatta's 2009 season) on the line by clattering into the upright as he scored the 66th-minute clincher from halfback Aaron Groom's grubber. "It feels like I strained a muscle, but I'll be sweet," Hayne said.
The Fijians prayed for several minutes on the field after the result, and while they will need a miracle to defeat Australia, the Fijians weren't ruling anything out. "We're not going into the game with the mindset of losing," captain Wes Naiqama said.
"It's up to God mate," Hayne said. "We'll need him more than ever. But he's been with us the whole way ..."