Kurtley Beale gets his timing right and hopes to soon chime into a Wallaby backline
HIS focus is on the Waratahs but Kurtley Beale concedes returning to the Wallaby mix in time for the World Cup is in the back of his mind.
Wallabies
Don't miss out on the headlines from Wallabies. Followed categories will be added to My News.
HIS focus remains firmly on the Waratahs but Kurtley Beale concedes returning to the Wallaby mix in time for the fast-approaching 2015 Rugby World Cup is in the back of his mind.
Beale has starred for the Wallabies over a number of seasons but injury last year sidelined the Waratah No.12 at an inopportune time.
As coach Ewen McKenzie promoted newcomers on form, a queue of Test-quality playmakers suddenly formed in front of Beale.
With Quade Cooper recalled, Matt Toomua and Christian Lealiifano strong in debut seasons and Israel Folau taking the No.15 jersey off the table, the challenge for a fit-again Beale to return to the Wallabies is now a sizeable one.
Throw in the claims of Bernard Foley, Force young gun Kyle Godwin and teak-tough Brumby Pat McCabe and the congestion for Wallaby midfield spots is like Victoria Road at 8am.
“Apart from the 15 jersey, everything is pretty close I reckon, depending on what Ewen wants to do,” Beale said at last week’s Wallabies jersey launch.
Players have just one more game to impress Ewen McKenzie ahead of his the Wallabies squad to play France being named next Thursday.
Adding to the urgency, however, is a feeling among players that in a year before a World Cup, eventually a coach wants to settle on a preferred team. The longer you are out of the main picture the tougher it is to get back in.
“No-one is ever out of contention for a Wallaby jersey, but it helps to have history,” Toomua said.
Beale said while he felt the spectre of a looming World Cup, concentrating purely on getting fit and playing consistently for NSW this season was his means of addressing it.
“Every player in the competition, it (Wallaby selection) would definitely be playing the back of their minds, trying to prove themselves and making themselves fit and ready so when an opportunity comes they …. can make a statement,” Beale said.
“That’s what I have been thinking over the past few months. But it definitely hasn’t been a focus, because if you think too far ahead of yourself you are not going to get the job done (for NSW).”
With Cooper and Toomua the preferred No.10 options, Beale’s best hope is the No.12 jersey.
Attacking stats indicate he is the top pick for a second playmaker, with five try assists and five linebreak assists, 20 tackle busts and 17 offloads.
But defence is the big issue for Beale, with 10 missed tackles and only 27 made this season on the wing, where he defends for NSW.
McKenzie has several staunch defensive options for No.12. Rookie Kyle Godwin is a dynamic defender (108 tackles) and is overdue exposure to Wallaby level, and Pat McCabe is back in top form for the Brumbies.
Lealiifano is re-finding touch in an injury-delayed season but Beale’s claim will come back to McKenzie’s decision between Cooper and Toomua at No.10.
The Reds have struggled this year but Cooper’s creative stats are still the best — eight try assists, 10 linebreak assists, 30 tackle busts and 23 offloads. Handling errors are high but Cooper is defensively better than in the past, missing only five more than Toomua all year.
Toomua’s creative stats also stack up but the Brumby’s capacity to also play No.12 soundly as may see McKenzie ultimately revert to the strong Cooper-Toomua combination of the Spring Tour. Toomua showed he can play a mix of distributor, defensive and strong ball-running roles.
That could see Beale positioned in the bench-gamebreaker category for McKenzie.
Toomua said: “There are so many people who can play in that 10/12/15 and whatnot — well, there’s probably only one guy who’s going to be in the 15 — but the competition for spots is so high so for me it’s not really about any particular number. Beggars can’t be choosers in a way so I will take any one.”