A long chat with Wallaby coach Michael Cheika made up Kurtley Beale’s mind – he’s not going to take up a second year option with London Wasps, and is coming home to the Waratahs and the Wallabies.
No definite date has been fixed, but the Aviva English premiership final will be at Twickenham on May 24, and with Wasps on top of the table, it’s a fair bet the famous London club founded in 1867 will be in the decider.
Beale has been a revelation with Wasps, both on and off the field.
It wasn’t that long ago Beale, James O’Connor, and Quade Cooper, the ‘Three Amigos’, were grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons.
It seems O’Connor will never learn, while Beale and Cooper have left those bad old days behind them and are playing up to their rich talent.
I first saw a spindly head-geared 15-year-old Beale play in the St Josephs College first XV in 2004.
He had the hands and deception of a Mark Ella, he read the game in advance like a Tim Horan, and he had the speed with the ability to beat an opponent like a David Campese.
That was one helluva 15-year-old.
Beale spent three years in the Joeys top side, and was far and away the best footballer in the GPS competition, captaining the Australian Schoolboys.
He was like Ken Catchpole at Scots and Jim Lenehan at St Ignatius in the mid 50s, and John Brass at Sydney High in the mid 60s – simply superb.
A special mention of Lenehan who was also a cricketer, and even more outstanding as an athlete winning the GPS senior shot put and hurdles in back to back years – the most unlikely of combinations.
He also boasted the biggest boot I’ve ever seen with long range penalties and clearances into touch to match the acknowledged biggest rugby boot of all time in All Black legend Don Clarke.
But now Beale is returning home, Cheika must play him at 12 and Israel Folau at 13, pairing the two most exciting Wallaby backs where they can do the most damage.
It’s no secret Folau is at his most dangerous best when Beale is playing, but all too often Beale’s been on the bench, and Folau has been at 15.
A tragic waste of talent.
But a Wallaby backline of halves Will Genia and Bernard Foley, centes Beale and Folau, wingers Reece Hodge and Samu Kerevi with fullback Dane Haylett-Petty would set rugby fields on fire the world over.
All those possibilities remain to be seen, but for the moment well done Michael Cheika in being instrumental to bring Kurtley Beale back to where he belongs.
But Cheika mustn’t blow the good work by keeping Beale in the backwater, as he’s done before.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
EJ, that is a fair point about Beale covering so many positions....agree "Having him back is something to be happy about"
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Afraid I have to agree re Beale.....can be brilliant, but has defects. No way would I play him over Kerevi at 12 either.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Agree with most of your selections. Very interested to see Skelton there....also really rate him, and think he will develop well. Would suspect Higgenbotham would find it difficult to get in over Timani or a fit McCalman. So I would play McMahon at 6......I think he is too good to leave till later in any game. I hold a very different view to many, and would select any Australian playing anywhere in the world, already capped or not. So change the rules currently in existence. Only two I know of could come in. ....Liam Gill and and Nick White. The latter I have not seen play since he left Australia, but based on his form when he last played for WB's, would really rate him.
Bob
Guest
Well they are top of the ladder and Beale is playing awesome for them, so I think the investment is working out quite well so far
Fox
Roar Guru
That would have to be a back line that the All Blacks would be licking their lips at in attack. Folau makes so many poor reads defensively that it is now a major problem in his game. It is one of his glaring weaknesses when playing fullback as well - and Eddie Jones and Hansen always exploited it last year in different ways. I agree with Spiro that Folau is a somewhat overrated as player and as Spiro said he is not a "match winner" player. He has won very few matches for the Wallabies in the sense of a what is termed a match winning player and he has scored very few tries against the AB's- very few indeed- and as the saying goes - you must judge a players real class against the best and Folau has done very little against the AB's over the years. They have his measure so well now that Cheika has to take him out of fullback at the very least. Even in the weekend, where he was very good in attack -the best for a while actually - but some of his defensive reads were dreadful, and the opposition made plenty of capital attacking the outside channels. Not always his fault to be fail, but I watched that game again today, and he looks all at sea defensively at times. He is just a poor reader of the game in defense, and it is not like he hasn't had plenty of time at fullback. He should play on the wing in my opinion. As for Beale, the Wasps don't play in a competition that has the pace and skill levels across the board of the Kiwi sides and he gets a lot more time and space as a result. Hats of too him for delivering for the Wasps, but it is different competition, that to be fair, has fewer, if any, below par Kings and Sunwolves type sides ( lucky them), but equally, no sides that play like the kiwi sides either. So he may find he will need to adjust, and quickly. Folau does not always play better because Beale is in the side. This is a bit of myth I think, because there have been games when one has played well and the other has been pretty average, but it does give the Wallabies another attacking option which gets rid of the aimless( because it's too predictable) " get the ball to Folau" catch-cry This is especially true at test level as this can open up space in attack when the opposition have to cater too more "genuine" threats in their D.
Rugger
Guest
Beale to No.15, Folau to No. 11 with Naivalu at No.14 Folau must having roving role and beale to act as 2nd play maker otherwise we are f#*ked with Folau not having kicking game, positiona play and beale lacking in defence. AB's will kick Folau out of the game and run lose forwards in No. 12 channel. Has Cheika learnt anything?
Lincoln Lense
Guest
Good looking side Would swap Skelton for Arnold, Hooper for Pocock/Gill and Hunt for DHP
Lincoln Lense
Guest
Beale to this day is so ridiculously overhyped it makes my tooth ache The guy was a once in a generation GPS player, was world class in the 2010 Test season and since then drifted between above average and absolutely dire That Wallaby backline would get slaughtered btw
Rugnut
Guest
Are we to believe Beale has been promised the No 12 jersey? He has probably made a similar promise to Skelton (4) and Mumm (6). Why not reward those that have stuck out the season and show promise such as Goodwin or Hodge. Beale is a good reserve. Why not spend the time convincing Genia to return. Our half stocks are piss poor. For Frisby to make a wallaby squad shows just how screwed we are. He is a disaster for the Reds...but still gets a jersey.
Peni Latu
Guest
Its too early to count the chooks, its still a long way to go to 2019, Lets get over current season and don't get too far ahead too early of ourselves....,
Dally
Guest
The only definite in the centres at the moment is Kerevi. Folau should simply play wing. 13 too complex a position at test level for him. DHP the best 15 for tests.
Bamboo
Guest
He does have a point though. Look at the turnover of coaches over the last 5 years at SR and Wallaby level. Its always the coaches fault.... There is a bit of a d*ckhead mentality among a lot of Australian rugby teams. Whether its the fact that you're more than likely a Sydney or Brisbane private school boy, or the fact that there is such a low pool of talent that you're not going to be moved on any time soon, worst case you move yourself on to a better pay cheque in Europe or Japan, I don't know. It was our then Captain Michael Hooper who sent those first texts by the way. Now former captain.
riddler
Guest
mate you obviously have a particular rugby type you like.. the six nations is great.. and if by chance you are ever so lucky enough to get a ticket.. twickers, cardiff, dublin and even muurayfield are a great day out..
FunBus
Roar Rookie
'Have you watched the 6 nations tests involving those teams (but not Scotland)? They’ve been snore-fests.' You're right, Fionn. Another boring 10-man rugby display from England against Scotland today.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't put Beale anywhere till he learns how to play the game! Enough crappy dead wood in the Wallabies now adding another isn't going to achieve anything! The Pom' Club that paid such a big amount for Beale to play for them, must either have money to waste or are just plain dumb!
Red&Black Knight
Guest
It's great for Kurtley to be going back to Super Rugby. He's been playing extremely well for Wasps the last few games and the confidence he'll bring back will be good for him and hopefully the Wallabies. I have to point out though that he never played for London Wasps. The club dropped the London part from their name a couple of seasons ago and relocated to Coventry, which is in the middle of the country. So they are not a London club anymore and should be correctly refered to as simply Wasps, or more accurately Coventry Wasps.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I don't think that's what you said though, is it, Johnny boy? You were saying it was boring and meaningless and irrelevant. Beale obviously disagrees. And there would be some (eg almost everyone who doesn't go for England and Ireland), who would argue that those two teams are playing boring and meaningless and negative rugby. Have you watched the 6 nations tests involving those teams (but not Scotland)? They've been snore-fests. So the European clubs have a bunch of Kiwis well past their best on an extended holiday earning big $$$. Therefore, you think the teams would beat the Kiwi super rugby sides (which are full of Kiwis in their prime)? Okay, mate, you're obviously into something here, Johnny boy!
Johnno
Guest
winning is more important than losing by being entertaining, that's what casual rugby fans care about , "winning" not losing by being entertaining. I wouldn't exactly call the wallabies the most entertaining team on the block. The good european clubs would wipe the floor of the aussie and south african sides. And many have sides loaded with kiwis so they would match the kiwi sides to. And they do play a flair orientated game the euro clubs, but many also learn actually rugby skills e.g. set pieces/mauling/scrums, something that seems invisible to aussie sides.
Macca
Guest
2017 side? Wallabies 23 1. Sio 2. P-N 3. Kepu 4. Arnold 5. Coleman 6. Higginbotham 7. Hooper 8. Timani 9. Genia 10. Foley 11. Naivalu 12. Kerevi 13. Kurindrani 14. Folau 15. Beale 16. Latu 17. Robertson 18. Aloatoa 19. Staniforth 20. McMahon 21. DHP 22. Hodge 23. Powell
soapit
Guest
has been tried before and wasnt the best but may well have been viewed as quite good compared to current wallaby 10 options form