Wallabies star Kurtley Beale one of two players to secure a quarter-final berth in RugbyPass FIFA Pros tournament
The opening round of the RugbyPass FIFA Pros southern hemisphere charity tournament continued on Wednesday with a second successive double-header featuring Kurtley Beale, Angus Ta’avao, Shaun Stevenson and Jackson Garden-Bachop.
Tuesday’s matches saw Hurricanes flyer Wes Goosen and Crusaders starlet Will Jordan book their spots in the quarter-finals of the tournament, and the duo will be joined by Beale and Stevenson following two impressive displays of FIFA.
Matched up against Chiefs and All Blacks prop Ta’avao, Beale enjoyed a 2-0 victory over his former Waratahs teammate, with both players opting to play with French giants PSG.
A friendly exchange between the two managers resulted in little action of note for the majority of the first half, although an attack from either side towards the end of the half showed signs of promise going into the sheds.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_jO9GBgc_1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Leading the stat sheet by 10 shots to one at the break, Beale managed to capitalise on his domination in the 57th minute when a mistimed tackle allowed star wing Kylian Mbappe to waltz into the opposition’s penalty area and send the ball into the top-right corner of the goal.
Despite a flurry of desperate attempts from Ta’avao as the clock wound down, the Wallabies veteran sealed the deal three minutes into injury time when Mbappe doubled his tally through a simple tap in following a Mauro Icardi-inspired counter-attack from inside his own half.
He’ll be joined in the final eight by Chiefs speedster Shaun Stevenson, who made light work of Hurricanes pivot Jackson Garden-Bachop in a dominant 3-0 win.
Playing with reigning European champions Liverpool, Stevenson got off to a rapid start when English midfielder Jordan Henderson took advantage of a defensive error from a Manchester City defender to score from close range in the fourth minute.
That lead could have been multiplied many times over given the number of scoring chances Stevenson generated throughout the first half, and the 23-year-old was eventually rewarded when Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino snatched a goal on the stroke of half-time from 12 yards out.
A third goal scored by Firmino from a flowing counter-attack move in the 63rd minute all but quashed Garden-Bachop’s hopes of progressing into the quarter-finals, as Stevenson and Beale await the results of the remaining fixtures this week.
The first round of action continues tomorrow when Highlanders and All Blacks star Aaron Smith takes on Blues and USA Eagles flanker Tony Lamborn in one of two fixtures.
The day’s other clash will see Chiefs midfielder Alex Nankivell challenge Ricoh Black Rams and former All Blacks loose forward Elliot Dixon.
RugbyPass FIFA Pros Southern Hemisphere Opening Round Draw
Thursday:
Aaron Smith (Highlanders) vs Tony Lamborn (Blues)
Alex Nankivell (Chiefs) vs Elliot Dixon (Ricoh Black Rams)
Friday:
Bryn Hall (Crusaders) vs Pete Samu (Brumbies)
Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes) vs Josh Ioane (Highlanders)
Qualified for Quarter-Finals:
Wes Goosen (Hurricanes)
Will Jordan (Crusaders)
Kurtley Beale (Waratahs)
Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs)
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments