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If Ewen McKenzie thinks he has issues with his Wallabies, the news is not much better at home, where one of his star players Kurtley Beale is still on the booze.
This is the same player who is supposed to have checked himself into a clinic in May to deal with his alcohol issues. The same player who had a meeting with the ARU during the year after a breach of a written no-alcohol undertaking he had given to the ARU and the Rebels after he punched two Melbourne teammates in South Africa.
He had a few drinks the night he returned to rugby in the Rebels' match against the Chiefs.
He had also missed an appointment with the psychologist assisting in his treatment.
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Well last Saturday night, some media types walked into the trendy Bondi spot The Bucket List and there was Kurtley, a long way into a drinking session.
Not a drama for an average player - but an issue for Beale, who is supposed to be dealing with the issue that is blocking his career.
"At just after 7pm Beale was there in the front bar area with his mates screaming and carrying on,'' my contact said.
''At one stage he was standing on chairs yahooing at the top of his lungs … not in an aggressive way but my crew found it both loud and intimidating and so we left. I don't know where that leaves 'my troubles are behind me rhetoric' and I'm not sure where his shoulder recon is at but he would have woken up with one sore head.''
Beale has always had an interesting view on his issues with drinking.
''I really don't think I have an alcohol problem but sometimes alcohol doesn't agree with me,'' he mused following one of his dramas.
'In a controlled environment, at a barbecue or at a restaurant, I'm fine … but at other times I make bad choices.''
It's up to the Waratahs now to work out whether last Saturday was a bad choice or not.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/kurtley-...#ixzz2lWy6V9kE