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Kurtley Beale has been sounded out for a Wallabies return as coach Dave Rennie grapples with the late tour withdrawal of Samu Kerevi, Sean McMahon and possibly Quade Cooper. Japan-based centre Kerevi and backrower McMahon were both selected for Tests against Scotland, England and Wales next month after the loosening of Rugby Australia’s eligibility rules allowed them to return for the Rugby Championship.
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But on Tuesday Rennie confirmed the nervous pair would instead honour their Suntory club’s wishes and remain in Japan ahead of a January kick-off with the Top League powerhouse. Cooper, too, has remained in Japan and Rennie will speak with his Kintetsu Liners club on Wednesday in the hope of gaining access to the five-eighth.
Australia play Scotland on November 7 and have won five straight Tests since Cooper’s shock recall, while Kerevi was monumental in four appearances before missing Saturday’s win over Japan with an ankle injury. The three Tests fall within an international window, but Rennie is wary of overstepping given neither Kerevi nor McMahon were eligible to play for the Wallabies when first signed by Suntory.
“The whole time the boys had said that they wanted the support of the club, to say they were happy for them to go,” Rennie said when asked if the decision had caught him off guard. “They did mention (during the Rugby Championship) they were nervous about how their clubs would respond to them touring.
“They have loved their time but they have made a decision based on what their club needs. It is disappointing… we were keen to get a bit more out of them late in the year, but they’ve made their call based on the desire of the clubs and we’ve just got to get on with things.”
It’s understood after meetings that dragged late into Monday night… #Wallabieshttps://t.co/FCAjeqCveP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 26, 2021
With Reece Hodge joining fellow full-back Tom Banks on the long-term injury list, the Wallabies backline stocks are thin. Rennie said he had spoken with France-based Beale, who played the last of 92 Tests for the Wallabies in 2019, on Monday about joining the squad as one of the potential several overseas-based reinforcements. Tolu Latu, Rory Arnold and Will Skelton have already been recalled from their French clubs in further exemptions to the Giteau Law that were approved by the RA board.
“We have made contact with Kurtley and we have had conversations with Kurtley over a period of time, he has made it really clear his desire to be a Wallaby again. With the introduction of some of the guys he played with previously he was pretty excited by that,” said Rennie about the prospect of Beale being involved with the Wallabies again after a two-year layoff.
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Rennie said Covid-19 had allowed RA to test the waters with their selection of overseas players and, while this incident had created headaches, may not be a long-term issue. “It’s in its infancy from a Wallaby perspective,” Rennie said. “The Argentinians and South Africans pick most of their squad out of Europe and clubs sign those players knowing they’re going to lose them at various times. It’s potentially a complication at the moment that could remedy itself over time.”
Rennie said in-form winger Andrew Kellaway had the inside running to wear the No15 against Scotland after filling in for an injured Hodge against Japan. But he was impressed by Jordan Petaia’s solid performance on the wing, again saying that he’d like to see the Queensland Reds talent deployed at full-back next Super Rugby season before trying him there at Test level.
Here's how the Wallabies rated in their 32-23 win over Japan in the first match of their end-of-year tour. #Wallabies #BraveBlossoms #JAPvAUS https://t.co/cw0A7QY2ZM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 23, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments