Kurtley Beale the man most likely to take over fullback role for Wallabies in Bledisloe II
KURTLEY Beale has emerged as a contender for the fullback role left vacant by injured Israel Folau for Saturday’s Everest-like task of beating the All Blacks in Auckland to keep the Bledisloe series alive.
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KURTLEY Beale has emerged as a contender for the fullback role left vacant by injured Israel Folau for Saturday’s Everest-like task of beating the All Blacks in Auckland to keep the Bledisloe series alive.
Folau tore a muscle near his ankle in the 38-13 loss to New Zealand and did not make the trip to Auckland on Sunday morning with his teammates.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will now consider moving Beale to fullback and starting Matt Toomua at inside centre to accommodate for Folau’s absence.
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“Beale is an option back there if we want to put Toomua up in the front line, so we’ve got options there around what we want to do,” Cheika said.
“That’s who we’ve been working with over the past few weeks so I think it’s logical to bring a wing in there because he can cover that role, because [Jack] Maddocks can play fullback and wing as well, and we’ve got [Tom] Banks who is an out and out fullback.”
The other option would be to shift Dane Haylett-Petty from wing to fullback, where he usually plays in Super Rugby, and start Maddocks on the wing.
Either way, the loss of Folau puts a huge dent in Australia’s attack as they seek to win their first match against the Kiwis at Eden Park since 1986.
“He’s (Folau) got a small tear in a muscle right down low, quite rare really but it’s actually not a long-term injury at all, just a lot of swelling,” Cheika said.
“We’re hopeful he’ll be back for the game in Brisbane against the Springboks.”
Winger Sefanaia Naivalu was taken to Auckland as Folau’s injury cover, and Cheika believes he’ll still field a backline with plenty of potency.
“They have got plenty of X-factor, but X-factor is the final touches, it’s about all the work that’s being done beforehand, the lead-up and everyone playing their part,” he said.
It’s hoped injured props Scott Sio and Taniela Tupou will recover in time for Saturday’s match to bolster the scrum, which was repeatedly penalised for collapsing at ANZ Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Wallabies have set up camp on the remote Waiheke Island off the coast of Auckland for the first time.
The island has just 10,000 residents and two rugby fields.
“I just thought it was something different, go there and set up camp and train,” Cheika said.
“There’s no magic pill here, do this or that, I just thought we’d stay somewhere a bit different.
“I’ve never been there myself, I just thought there’s a footy field there, there’s a gym there, something different for the lads.”
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Originally published as Kurtley Beale the man most likely to take over fullback role for Wallabies in Bledisloe II