Injury has ruled Kurtley Beale out of the Western Force’s match against the Lions, coach speaks about replacement

Western Force coach Simon Cron has explained the dialogue with the Wallabies that made possible Ben Donaldson’s return for the upcoming match against the Lions, following Kurtley Beale’s injury.

Western Force coach Simon Cron says Ben Donaldson will have no trouble slotting into their backline against the British & Irish Lions just 48 hours after arriving in Perth from Wallabies camp after Kurtley Beale was ruled out with injury.

Donaldson made a mad dash from Newcastle to Sydney, and then flew to Perth on Thursday afternoon after Beale suffered a hamstring strain that has sidelined him for Saturday’s game at Optus Stadium.

Cron said he’s been in constant dialogue with the Wallabies coaching staff and had planned for such a scenario, and Donaldson’s intimate knowledge of the Force game plan – having guided the team throughout Super Rugby – will ensure he’s not a deer in the headlights.

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Beale speaking to media ahead of game. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images

Donaldson has been released from Wallabies for Force match against Lions. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images for Rugby Australia

“We were in conversations with Joe (Schmidt) and the Wallabies staff for the last month or so around how this is going to work, the matrix of players, and they’ve been really clear and precise with us around if there are injuries, they’re really flexible around being able to open that door,” Cron said.

“So Joe called me last night and was like, ‘Crono, we’ve seen that KB’s got the hamstring, we can get Dono back to you to cover that injury’. I was like, ‘Awesome, mate’. It was a conversation for a while there.

“And so that’s great to get him back. He’ll get a captain’s run. He’ll be fine.

“Dono’s been part of our squad all year and it’s just him coming back. It’s not him coming from anywhere else. He’s a smart enough rugby player to be able to handle it. He’ll have no problem.”

Western Force's coach Simon Cron speaks about Ben Donaldson’s inclusion for Lions tour match. Picture: Sanka Vidanagama/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Beale injured his hamstring at training hours after telling the media how excited he was to be facing the Lions again, having played for the Wallabies against them in 2013.

“Unfortunately on Tuesday he was practising a lot of highballs and halfway through the training he had a wee pull,” Cron said.

“So we had him scanned and we were kind of hopeful that he could maybe work his way through today, but the scan came back and the hamstring pull or strain is slightly higher than we expected and I think it would be detrimental for him if we tried to push through.

“He was keen, but we unfortunately have to jump out of this game.

Beale was keen to feature for the Western Force against the Lions. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

“(He will be out for) one to two weeks, probably two weeks would be his return to play. So there’s other opportunities moving forward for him, so it would be selfish for us to push him and then end up at five to six weeks.

“He’s hugely disappointed. He was so excited to play and he loves the big games. He’s a big game player, KB, and we love him in our team.

“He’s been a real asset to us as a leader and he’s bitterly disappointed. I was on the phone to him four or five times last night walking through different scenarios. But he’s also smart, educated.

“The medical team have worked really well with him and, you know, and the Wallaby medical staff look at him and it was a relatively clear process in the end.”

Donaldson replaced Beale at fullback, while rookie Alex Harford starts at five-eighth.

Beale was eager about the coming game when speaking to reporters on Tuesday.

“I didn’t really think I’d get the opportunity again, but here I am,” Beale said.

“Just really excited for the opportunity. The Western Force have given me that opportunity. Coming back from an Achilles injury, which was some tough going.

“I worked really hard to get myself back and in a position to be selected, so just really excited.

“I just know how big of an occasion it is. We’ve got a lot of young guys in our squad who will be thriving.

“It’s just an absolute juggernaut of the game, the occasion. And I think on the field, just the level, the intensity, the skills under pressure, it’s tenfold.

“So it’s going to be a challenging opportunity for our guys, but a big learning one as well.

“We’re going to go out and do everything we can to play Western Force rugby and hopefully put in a proud performance that the rugby fans can enjoy.”

Originally published as Injury has ruled Kurtley Beale out of the Western Force’s match against the Lions, coach speaks about replacement