Wallabies legend Tim Horan is backing Kurtley Beale to seize Matt Giteau’s No.12 jersey for Australia this winter.
In what looms as a straight-out choice between two of Michael Cheika’s pet players, Giteau and Beale appear in a head-to-head battle for the inside centre role for the Wallabies’ three-Test series with England in June.
In his first year as Wallabies coach, the influential Cheika effectively had the eligibility laws rewritten to ensure Giteau – among a select few – was available for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Britain.
The so-called “Giteau’s law” worked a treat as the veteran midfield playmaker helped the Wallabies make the final against the odds.
But now Horan – arguably Australia’s greatest-ever inside centre and, apart from John Eales, the country’s only other two-time World Cup winner – wants to see Beale given a chance.
At 27, Beale is at the peak of his powers, while 33-year-old Giteau, although still massively influential, is clearly in the twilight of his career.
“I think the Matt Giteau experiment worked at the World Cup,” Horan told Rugby 360 on Fox Sports.
“I reckon Gits is close to 33 now. I reckon you let that go and allow these other players to come through.
“Kurtley Beale, do you put that carrot in front of him to try and keep him in Australian rugby rather than going off shore, by giving him the No.12 jersey?”
Beale is being courted by Wasps who have reportedly offered the midfield maestro $2.7 million to join the English Premiership at the end of the Super rugby season.
Cheika opting for Beale – his ex-NSW Waratahs charge he fought so hard to keep in the code when ARU boss Bill Pulver wanted him black-banned after a text message scandal – over Giteau could likely have major ramifications for the Wallabies backline.
With Israel Folau making a successful transition to outside centre alongside Beale for the Waratahs in Super Rugby, Cheika may be tempted to go with an all-NSW midfield – also including incumbent Test five-eighth Bernard Foley – at Test level.
But Tevita Kuridrani is intent on keeping the spot he’s owned for the past three seasons after going head to head with Folau in the Brumbies’ 26-20 win over the Tahs last Saturday.
“It was good to go up against Izzy, it was very challenging for me to play him at outside centre,” Kuridrani said.
“He’s a very talented guy. Anywhere you put him on the field he’ll always play well,” he said.
“Even before he played No.13, it was always a challenge for me to play better every week.
“A big thing for me is to keep improving and getting better … I’ll never relax and think I’ve got the jersey.
“But having someone like Izzy really does have you on your toes and I do think it will help me get better.”
Gilbert
Guest
I'd take Horan's view over yours any day. Beale's had 60 caps for the wallabies, not bad for someone with an alleged weak defense.
Boz the Younger
Guest
"Whilst not at test level...". That is the only point that you have made that matters. As it is before the game Nonu rated Giteau as the best defensive 12 in the World, I would suggest that he would be in the best position to know. Beale was implicated in letting in both of the first two All Blacks tries, he failed to rush Conrad Smith from the wing when there was an overlap leading to the first one and tripped over his own feet trying to tackle Nonu on the second. If Gits had still been playing I suspect the scoreline may have been different.
Vic rugby
Guest
Any top team playing the wallabies would support the return of qaude cooper
Dave_S
Guest
Yes I don't hink that one counts too much, my memory is that Beale jumped up in the air and bear-hugged him, which brought CFS to the ground. Effective in the end but not what he'd be coached to do
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Not really. Because he went off after 25 minutes, and the All Blacks still didn't score until just on half time. He went off for Beale, a noted weaker defender, so hardly a ringing endorsement of his defensive ability. Fainga'a is a great organizer of the defence. Not just a tackler. He's a great reader who shuts down options. Anything Giteau "offered" in attack he did not deliver. He registered a solitary try assist across his 6 games, a solitary line break and a total of 4 defenders beaten. He ran for 2.5m per run. He averaged just over 4 tackles per game. Compare that to Nonu, who for the tournament had 3 try assists, 21 defenders beaten, 7 clean breaks and ran for 5.5m per carry as well as making around 6 tackles per game. Beaten in every single facet of play. Whilst not test level, in 2016 Fainga'a has 1 try assist, 7 defenders beaten, 0 clean breaks and 2m per carry from 5 games. The only thing he's missing is a try that has no bearing on the result that he didn't do the hard work for.
Paul
Guest
Dan Crowley
Adsa
Guest
Off topic but Jason Little is also a 2 time world cup along with Horan & Eales. Little replaced Herbert in the second half 99 cup final.
Boz the Younger
Guest
Does it not occur to you that the scoreboard only opened up in the final against the All Blacks, when Giteau went off injured? Fainga is a great tackler but has nothing like Giteau's presence and organisational skills. He also can't kick goals and slot into halfback or fly half if necessary like Giteau can. Finally, even though it wasn't a major feature of his World Cup Giteau offered more in attack than Fainga ever would have. Can you imagine Ants having the attacking presence of mind, let alone the speed, to get himself outside AAC in the England game to score that final try? There is absolutely no comparison between the two, Giteau is a star and Fainga is a journeyman.
Boz the Younger
Guest
You are correct that Foley was the problem, he couldn't throw a cut-out pass at the beginning of the tournament but he improved throughout and was hitting the mark by the end. I suspect that Larkham had something to do with that.
soapit
Guest
nonu rarely just ran over people, much more often he'd use evasion first to shift the defender around and not him set himself and then hit the gas and power.
soapit
Guest
i thought one of the props as well?
soapit
Guest
i know he says that, but there has to be at least some element of future planning. be negligent not to. not like we have a team full of veterans playing the house down.
Stephen C
Guest
I don't want to sound pedantic, but Australia has four dual Rugby World Cup winners - the aforementioned John Eales and Tim Horan, but also Horan's Red Centre partner in crime Jason Little, along with Fox Commentator Phil Kearns. Let's not underplay the part of these other two in those famous victories.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
May as well have selected Anthony Fainga'a then. May have been more successful.
PeterK
Roar Guru
agree and hence I will be disappointed if the same players get trotted out and new blood does not get a chance. Genia was poor most of last year surely Stirzaker and Frisby should get a chance behind Phipps.
PeterK
Roar Guru
the attack against Fiji, Wales and NZ really struggled, mainly because Foley is not a good enough playmaker and thus needed help which Gits could not provide. The attack looked better when Beale came on to help so that means Gits did not provide enough.
CUW
Guest
no , i was merely pointing out the fact that it does not matter where u play ur big center if u cannot play. look at france with basteraud , he does not do much despite being 120kgs. Nonu did not always ran over the defender be it a small center or a big center. he ran around he kicked the ball he passed. in the world cup he ran round beale. but as the poster says , nonu shud have done a jonah on beale .:)
CUW
Guest
nope , he saw Beale ; then all the reputation that preceded Beale came flashing in front of his eyes - thus he did not see Beale hit himn :)
Hoy
Roar Guru
I think it depends how you play 13... Our 13s have traditionally been bigger, over the last 15-18 years... but really, it depends how they get the ball doesn't it?
Hoy
Roar Guru
I think front on, he isn't too bad, but from angles, he is all at sea... That was a cracking result from his tackle on CFS, but what in gods name was CFS thinking with 5 metres to go, and space outside him... why he chose to try to steam roll the last defender just boggles the mind... all he had to do was try a palm, and fight for his feet to fall over the line... Try. Instead, he though he could make what? An example of the fullback?