Kurtley Beale played the second half of the Waratahs — Crusaders trial match at the SFS and looked instantly at home in this level of play.
Two initial impressions: first, he is a big 18-year old at 1.84 cms and 90 kgs compared with the budding NZ super-star five-eighths he marked – Stephen Brett – who looked and was smaller in comparision at 1.85 cms and 85kgs. Second, he has been brilliantly coached by Brother Anthoy Boyd at the famed St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill.
Beale plays within himself, does the hard work of tackling and taking a tackle efficiently and does not overplay his hand. I counted fifteen touches and interventions Beale had in his 40-minute stint. And allowing for the fact that most of the time the Waratahs were defending inside their 22, he made very few errors. And the value of this correct aspect of his play is that he is a player who does try to make things happen for his side. A natural and valuable playmaker, in other words.
His passing was very good with smart cut-out and neat pop-ups for players making an inside cut. He overdid the chip kick in his first couple of touches. The rule about chip-kicks is the same as that for putting the other side into bat, think about it and then never do it. He took some knocks but always presented the ball well for the ensuing ruck. He missed one tackle badly when Andrew Ellis brushed him aside and galloped away for a try.
But aside from this miss, he was good in the tackle, racing back at one time to cut down a Crusader’s centre who had made a long break. He took a bad knock at the end of the match. From the next scrum he raced past Brett and the Crusaders’ backrow, ran 30 metres to put Josh Holmes away for the winning stry. Holmes a youngster who is big and fast and plays in the Nick Farr-Jones manner will make a good foil for Beale. The Holmes-Beale halves combination will become a force for the Waratahs by the end of the Super 14 season.
Is Kurtley Beale a potential star? Robbie Deans, the Crusaders coach, was impressed enough to call him ‘an excitement machine’. For me, on a first viewing of his play at the senior level, all the hype about his potential is right on the money. He’s the Real Beale.
Terry Kidd
Guest
I was first alerted to Kurtley Beale by my mate Tony Noakes who coached Joeys 2nd 15. I have been following Beale's progress ever since. I agree with the comment about dveloping Aboriginal youth ... I have seen very many aboriginal youths and girls playing rugby, league, aussie rules and touch and very many are agile, speedy, possess great hands and are generally a joy to coach. One point though .... most have the build to be backs, not forwards. Not too many aboriginal big men have come through in any code .... Arthur Beetson and Polly Farmer aside can anyone name more? Back to Beale .... he is a joy to watch.
Sione - www.rugbyfobcast.com
Guest
Spiro I agree, yet the combination of Bederus & Johns would be a better option, the position of hooker/dummy half in league is closer to a halfback in Rugby union. But as pointed out, without a stable scrum, which leads to a solid forward platform in general play, it doesn't matter who you have playing in the halves, because if your forwards don't provide front foot ball, your halves are recieving the ball at times with the recieving pass almost 5-10 metres off the advantage line, and like league, your forwards need to be providing that continuous forward momentum,then its time to unleash the talents of your halves. I'm of the opinion that Australia still have the most construtive halves pairing in world rugby (Gregan & Larkham) but the forwards have preformed below par, yet its not the forwards fault, every team goes through slumps, its just the Wallabies turn. As for Andy Farrell, I think he will be a great addition to the English team, for a big man he has great ball skills in the tackle & strong enough to reach the advantage line, as for defence, your not as isolated playing 2nd five, yet years of playing league, should help with his technique, but its his ability to defend both sides of the field, which seems to confuse alot of league players as during a majority of their careers of playing in the forwards they normally defend on one side of the field. As for Henery Paul, he was always going to struggle, as he plays a very adlib type game, which can isolate you & that is what happened,
spiro
Guest
Will Assuming Australia's scrum is not perennially going backwards reveals the nature of the problem facing any league halfback coming into rugby. The league play-the-ball system allows the halfback an easy access to the ball. It also allows him and the other playmakers an easy option if they can't make a play. They take the tackle and have an uncontested play-the-ball. This highlights the critical difference between the two codes. League is a man-against-man game. Rugby is all about contesting the ball. Only rarely does a rugby halfback or five-eighths have an easy access to the ball and an easy options of going to ground when they run into traffic. For this reason I believe few league halves, perhaps Andrew Johns would be an exception, could make an easy transition to union. On the weekend Andy Farrell, the former great league second rower, makes his debut as a centre for England. The last time England took a gamble like this they hooked one of the Paul brothers off after 20 minutes when the Wallabies rang rings around him.
Will
Guest
I certainly hope that Holmes-Beale will be as successful as Catchpole-Hawthorne or Farr-Jones-Ella. By way of a query, assuming they had had the opportunity of, say, two seasons of rugby union before the 2007 World Cup, in an alternate universe how do you think a Jonathon Thurston - Andrew Johns half-five eight combination might have gone at this world cup, assuming Australia's scrum were not perennially going backwards?
Sione- Rugby Fobcast
Guest
AS for the trial game against the crudaders, it was a great way for Beale to lift his intensity, the week before it was a brumbies outfit that lacked a number of their Wallabies, but against the crusaders, wheather or not any of their All Blacks played, the crusaders are a class act, and would of demanded a more solid performance of the wunder kid Beale. I had seen Beale play school boy level and was amazed at the ease he plays the game. Every so often we are bless with a koori kid, that plays the game on a different level to those around him. THe pacific islander always seem to have the physical presence to play rugby & the Anglo's have always been able to dictate games, but every so often we are blessed with the instinctive briliance of an aboriginal. Ever since the Ella days Australian rugby in my opinion has not done enough to harness this amazing commodity that are the aboringal youth, it is normally by chance that 1 will pop up & be used then discarded, when things get in the "too hard basket". Brendan Williams ex waratah is a perfect example, naturally talented with the skills to play any backline position, but wasted to NSw. Kurtley Beale could of easily sliped through rugbys net to Leauge where I believe he was found. Australian rugby is in a hole that they need to get out of, Kurtley is 1 player that will get them out but, he will need support, & in years I hope the ARU do what ever they can to recruit more indeginous players, because its been along between drinks, since we have seen the brilliance of the likes of the great Mark Ella, & Beale has the talent to out do even the great man himself.
Paul Sheehan
Guest
I missed the trial match so am fascinated to get the Zavos review. I followed Kurtley Beale for three seasons as he dominated the GPS and delivered Joeys three championships. He is the best schoolboy five-eigth I have seen since Ricky Stuart dominated the Waratah Shield final for St. Edmunds College. Beale had Wallaby stamped all over him at 15. Can he progress as far as France after just a season? To be continued...