Waratahs name Kurtley Beale skipper against Chiefs on Friday 13 years after he played first game for club
A crippling injury toll has paved the way for 147-game veteran Kurtley Beale to become captain of the Waratahs for the very first time as the Chiefs come to town for a vital Super Rugby clash.
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After a 13-year professional career, Kurtley Beale will finally become a captain when he leads the NSW Waratahs out against the Chiefs on Friday.
Beale has been given the captaincy duties amid a spate of injuries to NSW including regular skipper Rob Simmons, but misses the anticipated fullback clash against Damian McKenzie who has been left home by the Chiefs under the All Blacks rest policy.
Long-serving NSW leader Michael Hooper gave up the captaincy at the start of the season, and being the most experienced player in the side, Beale takes on the role in his 147th Super Rugby game.
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“It’s a great thrill for him, I think he’s a bit nervous about it, too, just quietly,” Waratahs coach Rob Penney said.
“But that’s what you’d like. He cares about the place deeply and it matters to him a lot, how the team performs and him being a little bit nervous is nice.
“He’s got a deep desire to make sure the young blokes perform well and do well in the Waratahs jersey and that’s manifesting itself in a really positive light across his own leadership involvement.”
At 31, Beale is in charge of a severely depleted Tahs team missing injured Simmons, halfback Jake Gordon, winger Mark Nawaqanitawase and prop Tom Robertson.
It means three players could make their Super debuts off the bench; lock/backrower Pat Tafa, halfback Michael McDonald and outside back Siosifa Lisala.
Lock Ryan McAuley, halfback Mitch Short and winger James Ramm come into the starting side.
The Tahs will be underdogs against a Chiefs side coached by Warren Gatland, but Penney is confident of springing an upset in Wollongong.
“If we play to our capabilities, then we’ll be in the fight,” Penney said.
“If we’re in the fight, you know what it’s like, tight matches can go either way.
“We’re certainly capable enough to give them a fright.
“They're a good side with quite a bit of experience but they've had some transitions as well and I guess it's up to us now to deal with their threats as best we can and we've got to build on last week and make sure that's not just an aberration and make sure we're building on our confidence levels.
“So a performance that reflects that is really important.”