Kurtley Beale outstanding filling in for Israel Folau at fullback in win over Rebels

The gloomy predictions that Israel Folau’s departure would end any chance the Waratahs and the Wallabies hopes of winning any silverware this season have already been put to bed.

• Foley stars as Waratahs fight back to beat Rebels

Maybe the reports of the death of Australian rugby have been greatly exaggerated after all.

The gloomy predictions that Israel Folau’s departure would end any chance the Waratahs and the Wallabies hopes of winning any silverware this season have already been put to bed.

Saturday night’s gutsy win by the Waratahs over the Rebels wasn’t always pretty but it did prove one thing: no player is bigger the game and teams can always find a way to overcome the loss of anyone.

Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale kicks against the Rebels on Saturday night. Picture: Getty Images

Folau might be the best aerial threat Australian rugby has ever produced but there were enough signs at the SCG on Saturday night to suggest the Waratahs and the Wallabies won’t be worse off without him and may even be better.

Kurtley Beale did a fine job stepping in to fullback role for the first time this season, producing easily his best game in 2019.

Beale’s kicking game was excellent and far superior to Folau, who has never been a strong kicker.

He also defended well and made a big bust early in the match which almost led to a try and his move to fullback had a positive knock-on effect on the rest of the backline, which has been struggling for combinations after being chopped and changed all season.

Adam Ashley-Cooper and Bernard Foley both scored their first tries of the season with Foley enhancing his for the Wallaby five-eighth job by getting the better of Quade Cooper as the Waratahs got themselves back in position to make the Super Rugby playoffs.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the Waratahs once again proved that are better without Folau in their line-up. Since he joined the Waratahs, NSW have won 57 per cent of matches in which he has played, but 67 per cent of games when he was absent.

The Wallabies also look to be in good shape to cope without Folau with Reece Hodge have a blinder for the Rebels to underline the depth at 15, scoring an opportunist try, landing a long-range penalty and pulling off a bone-rattling tackle to show he has all of Folau’s bases covered.