The Roar
The Roar

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What does the immediate future hold for the 'Three Amigos'?

25th June, 2015
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Michael Cheika reckons Kurtley Beale could be headed home. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
Expert
25th June, 2015
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Kurtley Beale, Quade Cooper, and James O’Connor – the ‘Three Amigos’ – have collectively caused Australian rugby a fair amount of grief. But that’s the past.

All three have been exemplary of late and must be treated purely on form in the immediate future.

Beale’s quadricep injury has ruled him out of tomorrow night’s Super Rugby semi against the Highlanders at Allianz, a huge blow for the Waratahs, and Cooper is suffering from a shoulder injury, while O’Connor remains injury free.

It would be in Michael Cheika’s best interests, and great for Australian rugby, if the Waratahs and Brumbies meet in the Super Rugby decider.

For that to happen the Brumbies must beat the table-topping Hurricanes in Wellington, and the defending champion Waratahs beat the Highlanders in Sydney, both on Saturday.

An all-Australian final would bring Beale (if fit) and Matt Toomua head to head, the perfect way to decide who will wear the Wallabies’ number 12 jersey in the downsized Rugby Championship, with one game each against the All Blacks, Boks and the Pumas – and an extra international for the Bledisloe Cup with the men in black.

For the life of me I cannot understand why so many Roarers have completely left Beale out of their suggested squads.

Beale is the key component to sending match-winning Israel Folau on his destructive way, with the Super Rugby title, Rugby Championship, and a record third Rugby World Cup there for the taking.

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Nobody sets up Folau better than Beale, who would automatically double as Folau’s replacement if, heaven forbid, the champion number 15 is injured.

But there are genuine contenders for the number 12 jersey apart from Beale and Toomua. Matt Giteau is back after five highly successful seasons and 97 games with Toulon, as well as Christian Lealiifano, Kyle Godwin, Mitch Inman, and Reds powerhouse Samu Kerevi.

Cooper is in a vastly different and more difficult boat, especially as he’s unwanted at the Reds, apparently wants to head for the Waratahs, and has reportedly signed with Toulon.

Don’t blame Cooper for that potpourri, leave that to his manager Khoder Nasser, who also looks after Anthony Mundine, and Sonny Bill Williams.

But Cooper is a one-off number 10, he doesn’t fit any other position, and with Bernard Foley firmly entrenched as the Wallaby 10, there’s also Giteau, Toomua, Lealiifano, and don’t overlook the 22-year-old Jack Debreczeni as a bolter, who at 192 centimetres and 100 kilograms is a mighty big destructive unit.

Even Cooper’s other quality as a goal-kicker has run into a solid block of talent with Foley, Beale, Lealiifano, Giteau, and Nic White if he makes the Wallaby squad.

O’Connor has the same goal-kicking problems, plus a wealth of wing talent to overcome – Joe Tomane, Rob Horne, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Drew Mitchell, and Dom Shipperley, with Henry Speight’s five-week suspension well and truly over before the Rugby World Cup.

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And there’s no way O’Connor would be a contender as a stopgap fullback after his return games from Toulon for the Reds.

So Kurtley Beale will prove his Wallaby worth at least once, while Quade Cooper and James O’Connor have run out of opportunities.

By the way, if the Waratahs and Brumbies reach the Super Rugby decider there will be two other head-to-heads worth the price of admission – the openside flankers David Pocock and Michael Hooper, plus the halfbacks Nick Phipps and Nic White.

At this point Pocock and Phipps are way ahead.

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