All Blacks star signs surprise short-term deal with Irish heavyweights
All Blacks star Jordie Barrett has announced a sabbatical to play with Irish club Leinster at year's end, while committing his future to New…
All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg can understand what Kurtley Beale is going through and is sure the demoted Wallaby will come out firing when he gets his chance.
After his self-confessed worst match of his career, Beale has been dropped to the reserves for the second Bledisloe Cup rugby Test in Auckland on Saturday night, with Adam Ashley-Cooper taking over at fullback.
“I know how he feels,” Dagg said.
“I’ve had a few shockers – not saying he had a shocker – but it’s just part of rugby, it’s what happens.
“That’s the way sport goes. You can have great weeks and you can have bad weeks.”
Dagg has little doubt that Beale will bounce back quickly from his ordeal in the Wallabies’ 27-19 defeat to the All Blacks in Sydney.
“I know he’s going to come out firing,” he said.
“He’s a quality player. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and he’s going to (be) making amends for that.”
It was Dagg who helped to heap some of the misery on Beale last weekend, beating his opposite number on the outside on the way to scoring New Zealand’s opening try.
That was one of the few highlights in a stop-start match that failed to reach great heights and the All Blacks are determined to lift their performance at Eden Park.
Coach Steve Hansen has kept faith with his match-day squad, making just one forced change, with Wyatt Crockett coming in at loosehead prop for the injured Tony Woodcock.
“We obviously made a few too many errors,” Dagg said.
“We had a good lead in the first half and kind of let them back in the game.
“The team gets another opportunity to work on that and that’s what we’ll be doing.”
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