To say people were shocked when Kurtley Beale was selected at fly-half in Bledisloe 1 is an understatement.
From where I was sitting, he never really got anything done. He didn’t have a good game, nor did he have a bad game. The man just didn’t look settled.
His performance could have been bettered by the likes of Bernard Foley, who with only ten minutes on the field did not have the chance to dictate the game in his usual style.
With Bledisloe 2 just a few days away, and the Wallabies in a must win situation, Ewen McKenzie has again selected Beale at fly-half.
Does it make sense?
That depends on what style of game the Wallabies want to play.
Beale didn’t look settled on Saturday night because the team lacked a go-to guy. They need a dependable playmaker that can command the team for 80 minutes. Someone who demands the ball, and can come through in a clutch situation.
Bernard Foley did the job at the Waratahs and could easily become this player against the All Blacks. Beale can fit into the role. But based on Saturdays performance, it seems unlikely that he is ready to command a team against the world’s strongest international outfit.
Beale and Matt Toumua, playing at inside centre, switched the role of first receiver a number of times, with Beale completing the task twice as many times. This suggests a lack of team understanding.
Beale played a very lateral game – running sideways on many occasions. Not something you see from a natural fly-half.
The Wallabies game plan really doesn’t suit this style of play. Bernard Foley, a solid distributor who is able to challenge defences and set up the backline to suit the game plan, is a better fit for the Wallabies.
Foley directs and leads the team in a way that Beale did not on Saturday. But not long after he entered the field and showed his class, the final siren sounded on a unsatisfying draw.
Matt Toumua should be given another chance at inside centre to show that he can lift his game. To retain his spot in future Tests he is going to have to start working for it.
Finally, no commentary on the Wallabies backline is complete without a discussion about the Brumbies path, or the Waratahs path.
To be able to out together a solid game plan that will pick apart the All Blacks backline, the selectors need to choose between a majority of Brumbies, or a majority of Waratahs.
To put together a working, Waratah based backline they would need to put Nick Phipps at scrum-half, Foley at fly-half, Beale at inside centre, drop Matt Toomua. This would leave Pat McCabe on the wing as the only Brumbies player.
If they chose to take the Brumbies direction they would somehow have to fit Tevita Kuridrani into the squad, which would not make sense, considering Beale and Toumua are both stronger at inside-centre.
The current Wallabies backline strategy is a bit of a mess. The selectors are sitting on the fence – mixing two different game plans together and hoping something goes right.
But sitting on the fence only gives you splinters.
My selection for the Wallabies backline in Saturday’s critical game is: 9. Nic Phipps, 10. Bernard Foley, 11. Rob Horne, 12. Kurtley Beale, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14. Pat McCabe and 15. Israel Folau.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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