Beale issues warning to rivals about new edge to Australia's attack
Shaun Berne’s influence as Wallabies attack coach blossomed last Saturday in Perth versus the All Blacks and Kurtley Beale thinks their all-encompassing approach to running rugby will only be better at the World Cup.
The full-back believes Australia’s attacking game has taken on a new lease of life under Berne, who replaced Stephen Larkham in the only change to the coaching structure after the miserable returns of 2018.
After spluttering somewhat last month in a loss to South Africa and a narrow win over Argentina, the Wallabies ran amok in last Saturday’s 21-point Bledisloe Cup triumph, succeeding spectacularly with a no-kicking approach that established a mortgage on possession and ultimately wore New Zealand out. Their six tries and 47 points posted were both Wallabies records in 165 trans-Tasman Tests dating back to 1903.
Beale had nothing but praise for Berne and hopes they can manipulate the world champions again in the Cup decider at Eden Park this Saturday. He missed out on playing alongside the crafty coach at the Waratahs by one season when the latter took his playing career to Europe in 2007.
The 40-year-old had nous back then for unlocking defences but Beale said he had clearly honed his craft and learned how to get the most out of strike weapon players. “Shaun has been great for us in the backline and for the whole side in attack. He has brought a new edge to the game, a different approach, which is always refreshing,” said Beale.
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“He’s allowing the guys to go out there and be themselves and providing a structure that allows us to do that. He has brought different dynamics to how we want to play the game.”
It was feared Israel Folau’s absence would rob the Wallabies of their only genuine attacking match-winner. Instead, the attack load is being shared, with Beale regarding the refined skills of recalled pair Christian Leali’ifano and James O’Connor as the perfect foil for his own running game and the power of inside centre Samu Kerevi.
Five-eighth Leali’ifano and outside centre O’Connor now have the inside running for World Cup starting berths ahead of more established pair Bernard Foley and Tevita Kuridrani. “They are two players with a lot of unpredictability about their game and they certainly brought that at the weekend,” Beale continued. “It’s great to have players with that type of ammunition. Creativity is very important at Test match level.”
The @AllBlacks weren't able to slow the Wallabies' quick recycled ball down during their 47-26 defeat in Perth, but a review of the game exposes just why that was the case.https://t.co/42TmszpgoS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 12, 2019
Beale believed O’Connor would thrive under Berne’s mantra to give players a licence to try something. The old version of O’Connor may have taken such a message too far and errors would have resulted, but Beale believes the reformed match-winner proved that he has developed a waiting game.
“The thing I felt out there was just his calmness,” Beale said. “His ability to strike at any given second is pretty impressive as well so his time away brought that level of calmness about him, and that definitely rubs off on the other guys around him.”
– AAP
WATCH: Scott Barrett’s World Cup hopes are still alive after a judicial hearing into the New Zealander;’s red card versus Australia
Comments on RugbyPass
Mack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
1 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
5 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
2 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
7 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
2 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
2 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
5 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
5 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
5 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
16 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
16 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
16 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
7 Go to comments