Kurtley Beale Stood Down

[shasta]

One of my kids gave me a book of all the Wallaby captains some years back. Great read with a chapter on each. It's pretty hard to imagine how the Hooper chapter in a future edition might measure up.

[valzc]

So apparently all is forgiven & everything is just sweet honkydory again. And exactly how and where is Beale meant to be playing? I thought Wallabies had halfback position well covered.

[Tonkar]

Best position for Beale is next to left winger ..... Left right out

[chibi]

Ugh, can we go one month without hearing about him..?

[GIGS20]

Can't talk...... Wrapping head in tinfoil

Ugh, can we go one month without hearing about him..?

I tried, God help me I tried!

[SNOB]

No doubt about it! The Warrabies will be playing he rest of the tour!
I thought Cheika was/is impartial!

[Timbo]

Cheika defends Beale's Wallabies recall
Liam FitzGibbon
November 15, 2014, 5:14 am
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Michael Cheika acknowledges his decision to end Kurtley Beale's Wallabies exile will divide opinion but says it came down to not wanting to play politics and staying true to himself as a coach.

Controversial utility Beale will join the Wallabies in Europe from Sunday for the final two games of the spring tour against Ireland and England, just a month after the text messaging scandal that threw Australian rugby into turmoil.


Australian rugby coach Michael Cheika has defended Kurtley Beale's (pic) Wallabies recall.
Rising Reds backrower Jake Schatz will also link up with the team in Dublin as cover for veteran Scott Higginbotham, who is being sent home due to a hamstring injury.

Beale was last month fined $45,000 by an independent tribunal for sending a lewd picture message to former Australian Rugby Union staff member Di Patston but he escaped suspension after being found not guilty of sending a second, more offensive text.

Cheika, who coaches Beale in Super Rugby at the NSW Waratahs, opted not to select the player in his initial spring tour squad due to fitness, rather than disciplinary, reasons.

But after receiving word from Waratahs officials Beale was back up to speed after three weeks in training, Cheika approached ARU chief executive Bill Pulver to have the call-up approved before informing Beale of his selection by telephone on Thursday.

Cheika stressed he saw it as his job simply to pick the best available players.

"If I don't select the players who I think should be in the team then I'm just playing politics and that's not what I'm interested in," Cheika said on Friday ahead of Saturday's clash with France in Paris, only his second Test as coach.

"Right now is he in the top 33 (players in Australia?). Yeah he is. So he should be here."

Beale's call-up has already sparked furore from many on social media and Cheika admits he toyed with the idea of holding off on a recall until next year.

"But will it divide (people) any less now than it will in June?," Cheika said.

"If I didn't do it, I'd only just be playing to the crowd as opposed to what my real job is here.

"I've got to stay true to what I believe as a coach at this level.

"I don't have any influence in any other part of the ARU except for coaching the team and picking it and that's what I've got to stay focused on.

"If people didn't want him to play then that decision would have been made (by the tribunal or ARU).

"If I'm not looking at it that way, I'm letting down the other players because you've got to get the best players playing.

Australia have won their opening two matches of the tour but Cheika isn't worried about Beale's arrival proving a distraction.

"What do we do? Put it off a little bit and hope everyone forgets about it and he can come back later on? I don't think that's the right thing to do."

Cheika says Beale wants to win back respect on the pitch and the utility will be considered for next Saturday's clash with Ireland in Dublin if he proves himself in training.

"He's obviously very disappointed, as he should be, with what transpired so now's an opportunity to redeem himself," Cheika said.

Beale has not played for Australia since the loss to South Africa in Cape Town on September 27.

He was fined a further $3000 over an in-flight argument with Patston with the scandal ultimately leading to her resignation and that of former coach Ewen McKenzie.

Australian skipper Michael Hooper said Beale would be welcomed back with open arms.

"We need our best team over here to win our remaining games and KB is part of that," Hooper said.

Meanwhile Cheika praised 24-year-old Schatz, who is cutting short a holiday in Thailand to join the tour and bolster depth in the backrow.

AAP

Defending the indefensible?

[Kept One]

What does Cheika's action in bringing KB into the squad when there is no injury say to Toomua, CLL and of course Kyle Godwin?

[James]

I suppose it is about having a reserve full back. AAC could play there but I don't think he is a good full back and against England or Ireland he would be preyed upon (more than Beale).

[andrewg]

Was this the best decision for Australian rugby? I think not!

Undoubtedly a good decision for the Waratahs and Beale.

Cheika keeps supporting a player he wants in Tahs blue in 2015.

Beale, a serial miscreant, gets to join a group that have been working their buts off for the past 3 weeks and will get >50% of the tour payments (diluting $s going to the hard workers and those who show some level of personal discipline) to help him pay his fines.
For 47 days Beale has been nowhere near rugby at this level. And he's going to be useful/come good in a week?? In your dreams!!

Remember - one of the players he punched at the Rebels was his Captain, Gareth Delve (who always seemed like a good bloke).
This in itself is proof that Brand Beale is no less caustic and unacceptable than Brand O'Connor.

If anybody thinks that this is good for team cohesion then seriously - please give me a break!!!

[shasta]

Cheika is the coach. He is duty bound to pick who he sees as the best available. The ARU made Beale available. End of story.

We can debate the selectin on form etc. But not whether he should be considered by the coach.

[chibi]

It would be nice if there were some less important matches for him to develop his team. Some "minor" tests or some "A" games or some tour matches, would go a long way. I wish Godwin was there, developing a partnership with Kuridrani. Likewise, after this many years of involvement at the highest level, a position could have been found to make good use of the broken field running and passing skills of Quade Cooper, now that we have a reliable solid fly-half in Bernard Foley to fill that position.

Of course if I had my bloody-minded way, none of the three musketeers would be playing for the Wallabies ever again, but you have to select with your head, not your heart.

[GIGS20]

We can debate the selectin on form etc. But not whether he should be considered by the coach.

However, that is easy to do. Go have a look at the way he has played this year, both for the Tahs and for the Wallabies. He has been cavalier, ineffective and and predictable. Everything good that has happened around him has been as a result of the people around him pulling his bum out of the fire.

He shouldn't be there simply because he was a part of a team that had some success.

[shasta]

He shouldn't be there simply because he was a part of a team that had some success.

Agreed.

[chibi]

I feel that Beale was found out once Folau was injured. It seemed then, that we found out that it was Israel who was actually running the lines, calling for the ball and dictating the play. When I consider how naturally creative Godwin is off his own back, I then think he is more valuable to be blooded now, with Kuridrani and Folau running off him.

On a side note, here's my probable bias shining through, but someone has to make way for Hodgson to start, he contributes far too much in the tight, in the hard yards and in inspiring play, to be left out.