Wallabies superstar Israel Folau says God steered him away from rugby league and into Rugby union IT is exactly one year ago today, and Israel Folau is wondering why God is ruining his life. He had quit the GWS Giants after an unhappy stint in the AFL, was shimmeringly enthusiastic about returning to the NRL with the Parramatta Eels, and then it all went sour. "It took a month, and I was trying really hard to get this deal done with rugby league and obviously at the time with Parramatta, and it was going so well," Folau said. Then probably about two weeks before I thought I was going to sign, it started to crumble. During that time, I was thinking, 'I don't know what you're trying to do to me God, I don't understand what's going on'. Only now, in the plush surrounds of the Wallabies' team hotel in Dublin, where Folau has been feted by local press as one of the most exciting rugby prospects ever seen ahead of Australia's Test versus Ireland this weekend, can he appreciate "God's plan." Ironically, that plan involved Michael Cheika, a man who made his name as a coach in this very city by guiding Leinster to their first Heineken Cup trophy in 2009 before three years later taking over at the Waratahs - just two months before Folau's dilemma with his maker. "The Tahs thing came up, I just thought I'd give it a crack - I don't really want to go but I'll have a meeting with Cheik and see how I go," Folau said. Once I met Cheik and started getting comfortable with him, we were talking footy-wise and I thought maybe I can have a crack at this. That week finished, the second week came, and I thought we'll have another meeting with Cheik. It started to feel good. Then they put an offer down, everything fell into place without any hard work from my end, I just felt this is the way I'm supposed to go, obviously I signed and never looked back really. I looked at that situation where I wanted to go to rugby league, I felt as though God shut that door and opened this one, and I'm really happy now. As a person you see things differently. God oversees everything and guides you through steps in life if you trust in Him. I didn't understand at the time, but I just had to trust Him, and it worked out really well. Folau played just 14 games for the Waratahs before he was thrust into the Test arena by then Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, but revealed how humbling it was to struggle in the AFL, and his fears about switching to his third professional code. "I felt like I had to start all over again in my career," he said. Israel Folau in action for the Wallabies against Italy. In rugby league everything was going so well in a short time, and because I'm so religious and God is such a big part of my life, I felt like he humbled me a bit, bringing me back down to Earth through that experience. I learned a lot, not only about the sport but off the field as well, making decisions for myself. I certainly didn't see this coming when I left the AFL. My option was, I wanted to go back and play rugby league, this wasn't an option really. It's surprising how things turn out. I'm certainly happy that it's come this way. Now the Wallabies fullback is feeling so confident about his potential - and why not with eight tries in 12 Tests - that he's already thinking about his rugby legacy. "I feel really comfortable in my role in playing the game, and I feel like I can really put my foot down and having a crack," Folau said. It's only my first year, but I talk about leaving a legacy, I really feel like I can do that in rugby. Not only has he been widely hailed by the UK press, but Folau has been mobbed by fans in the streets of London, Turin and Dublin during his first spring tour with Australia, quite the rise for a shy kid from Minto. "I was talking to my parents about that on Skype the other night, I didn't think that something like this would happen, but I feel blessed," Folau said. To be on the other side of the world and to play rugby is huge. I'm grateful for the opportunity to play, and I believe everything happens for a reason. That pathway that I've come through, the AFL, everyone has different opinions about that, it certainly helped me into the journey that I'm on today. It helped me become mentally tough. I look back at the years I've played sport, and it's been a great journey.