Folau faces lengthy lay-off after surgery
It was confirmed that he will need surgery for an ankle injury sustained during the World Cup.
The fullback was relatively subdued in the latter stages of the tournament in England – where the All Blacks went on to win in the Final against the Wallabies – after he injured an ankle in a pool game.
The Australian Rugby Union said scans revealed the 26-year-old will require surgery for the injury, which saw him miss the Wallabies' controversial quarterfinal win over Scotland.
"Despite being hampered by the injury for most of the tournament, Folau ran for the most metres of any Wallabies player and finished seventh overall with 366 metres gained over his six matches," the ARU said in a statement.
Folau will complete his rehabilitation in Sydney ahead of the 2016 Super Rugby season, when he will once again be a key player for the Waratahs, it added.
The Waratahs open their 2016 Super Rugby season against the Reds on February 27.
Folau, a former Rugby League international, has played 38 Tests since making his debut in 2013 – missing only the one match through injury.
The 2014 and 2015 John Eales Medalist played in all but two of the Wallabies' World Cup matches, missing only the quarterfinal victory over Scotland due to the injury.
Folau suffered the injury in the earlier clash with England, but played through the injury the following weekend in the Pool A decider against Wales before missing the quarterfinal.
He then returned to start at fullback in both the semifinal and the Final.
