Australia v South Africa: Kurtley Beale thrown keys to run the Wallabies by coach Michael Cheika
KURTLEY Beale has always been capable of the freakish yet it has been embracing more mundane skills as well as his leadership role that now makes him a Test-quality five-eighth. says Jim Tucker.
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KURTLEY Beale has always been capable of the freakish yet it has been embracing more mundane skills as well as his leadership role within the Wallabies that now makes him a Test-quality five-eighth.
Yes. Leadership.
The wayward Beale of 2014 was embroiled in an offensive texting scandal that nearly cost him his career in Australia and booze related hiccups at other times were needless hurdles he also threw in his own way.
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The Beale of recent years has not been a fracture point in the Wallabies’ high-performance environment but an example of a maturing footballer with the off-field presence to go with all he can do on the field.
There was some statesman to the way he presented the first Wallabies indigenous jersey to the world in Brisbane late last year. It meant so much to him, it showed and his gratitude to Australian Rugby for taking on the concept was clear.
He talks of helping the young boys at the Waratahs and Wallabies, showing them the standards.
Don’t discount this growth off the field as a key factor in why coach Michael Cheika has thrown Beale the keys to run the Wallabies against South Africa at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
You need resilience as a Test No.10, you need to be able to boss your team and have respect shown back to you.
Beale has had that for a good while now and, with 76 Tests behind him, he is no longer the precocious kid but a senior member of this up-and-down Wallabies side.
Beale was just 18 in his first weeks of Super Rugby with the NSW Waratahs in 2007 when he produced an eye-popping chip-and-regather try.
Last year in Cardiff, his audacious ball-strip try beat Wales. The difference is that now he also does kick the ball into open space to settle play beautifully and he doesn’t push the big cutout pass that’s not really on. Balance.
England coach Eddie Jones played with the gifted Mark Ella and spoke glowingly of Beale being in his prime in London last year.
“Kurtley is the most wonderfully gifted player. He does things other players don’t even dream of,” Jones said.
“He’s got that ability to make that big play. His stint at Wasps (in England) has aided him, he’s become a lot more professional, a lot more consistent.
“He just adds that extra dimension, he does it with skill, with pace, he does it with precision and a smile on his face.”
Jones has seen plenty of players change and mature.
“Wayne Rooney was no angel at Manchester United just as Johnathan Thurston, in rugby league, used to have issues yet they were managed smartly and both were very successful,” Jones said.
A Test with muted appeal now has all eyes on it to see how the next stage of the Beale career unfolds.
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Originally published as Australia v South Africa: Kurtley Beale thrown keys to run the Wallabies by coach Michael Cheika