Wallabies coach Les Kiss has backed veteran Kurtley Beale to compete for the inside-centre role on the spring tour, opening the door to a potential Test comeback after a five-year absence, while playmaker Carter Gordon's fitness for Sunday's clash with England at Twickenham will be assessed in training next week.
Beale was a shock inclusion in the Wallabies spring tour squad, having last represented Australia against Wales in a one-point defeat at Cardiff in 2021. The 37-year-old is in line to play in November, with Kiss saying Beale is a genuine hope of Test inclusion.
"No-one comes in just to fill a void," Kiss said. "We just want to make sure it works and he's in there to perform. I have spoken to him on this. I like the fact that we've given the younger guys a chance to grow, without the experience sitting on their shoulder."
Kiss said Beale is coming in to "predominantly drive that second five-eighth position, at 12", but can also "flex into 15 and 10" in sessions. The coach is empowering the squad's other playmakers, Carter Gordon, Ben Donaldson and Declan Meredith, to "own" their position, saying: "I'm actually empowering them to say go for it and do it and have permission to just lead this team."
Gordon, who has been sidelined with a fractured fibula suffered in September, took part in sessions in Sydney this week. Kiss said the Tuesday training session in London might give clues about the five-eighth position, and the full team may not be known then.
Kiss was more positive about breakaway Tom Hooper, saying scans "have cleared everything" after a shoulder injury suffered while playing for Exeter. Hooper will "join the camp in a good way" with full movement returning, Kiss said.
In-form winger Dylan Pietsch was a notable omission, despite scoring two tries for Australia A against the USA last Sunday. Kiss said Pietsch was considered after recovering from a foot injury, but he wanted extra cover at fullback for Tom Wright, and looked at options including James Ramm and Mac Grealy; the coaching staff also discussed France-based Tom Banks.
Kiss said England, ranked fifth in the world and having lost three of their past five games, are moving to a more attack-based game, providing a significant challenge as a tour opener at Twickenham. “There's no better place in rugby in a lot of ways than Twickenham in terms of those wonderful battles between Australia and England,” he said.
Analysis
Why this matters
- A potential Beale comeback would bring veteran experience to a young Wallabies backline ahead of a crucial spring tour against England, Scotland and Wales.
- Gordon's fitness is central to the Wallabies' playmaking depth, with the young five-eighths competing to lead the team into what Kiss calls a 'massive year' for rugby.
- Selection calls, including the omission of in-form winger Dylan Pietsch, show the coach's preference for positional cover and competition within the squad.
Background
Kurtley Beale is a veteran Australian rugby player who last played a Test in 2021. The Wallabies are on a spring tour of the UK and Ireland, facing England, Scotland and Wales, with Kiss's squad featuring several younger playmakers including Carter Gordon, Ben Donaldson and Declan Meredith.
Key perspectives
- Les Kiss: backs Beale to compete for the inside-centre role, saying 'no-one comes in just to fill a void' and that Beale is there to perform, while also empowering younger playmakers to lead.
What to watch
- Carter Gordon's fitness in Monday and Tuesday training sessions in London, which will determine if he plays against England.
- Whether Beale is named in the starting XV for the Twickenham clash and how he performs if selected.
- The Wallabies' performance against England, which Kiss calls a significant challenge and a test of their tour-opening readiness.
Checked
10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedKiss backed Beale to compete for the Wallabies inside-centre role on the spring tour.The Age - Latest News: “‘He’s in there to perform’: Kiss backs Beale to compete for Wallabies inside-centre role.”
- SupportedBeale’s inclusion opens the door to a potential Test comeback after a five-year absence.The Age - Latest News: “Wallabies coach Les Kiss has backed veteran Kurtley Beale to compete as an inside centre on the spring tour, opening the door to a potential Test comeback after a five-year absence.”
- SupportedGordon’s readiness for next Sunday’s England clash will be assessed in training next week in London.The Age - Latest News: “Kiss said he would wait until training next week before assessing Carter Gordon’s readiness to play in next Sunday’s clash with England at Twickenham”
- SupportedKiss said Beale was a genuine hope of Test inclusion.The Age - Latest News: “Kiss said Beale was a genuine hope of Test inclusion.”
- SupportedKiss said, “No-one comes in just to fill a void.”The Age - Latest News: ““No-one comes in just to fill a void,” he said.”
- SupportedKiss said he was empowering Gordon, Donaldson and Meredith to lead the team.The Age - Latest News: ““I’m actually empowering them to say go for it and do it and have permission to just lead this team,” Kiss said.”
- SupportedGordon, sidelined by a fractured fibula suffered in September, took part in Sydney training sessions this week.The Age - Latest News: “with the Reds playmaker on the brink of returning from a fractured fibula suffered against Argentina in September. ... the five-eighth was involved in sessions this week in Sydney.”
- SupportedScans cleared everything after Hooper’s shoulder injury while playing for Exeter, and Kiss said Hooper would join camp with full movement returning.The Age - Latest News: “The Wallabies coach was more positive about the fitness of breakaway Tom Hooper, saying scans “have cleared everything” after Hooper suffered a shoulder injury while playing for Exeter against Bristol. ... he will “join the camp in a good way” with full movement returning.”
- SupportedPietsch scored two tries for Australia A against the USA last Sunday and was omitted from the Wallabies squad.The Age - Latest News: “A notable omission from the Wallabies’ squad was in-form winger Dylan Pietsch, who scored two tries for Australia A against the USA last Sunday in Nashville.”
- Partly supportedKiss said, “There's no better place in rugby in a lot of ways than Twickenham in terms of those wonderful battles between Australia and England.”The Age - Latest News: ““There’s no better place in rugby in a lot of ways [than Twickenham] in terms of those wonderful battles between Australia and England,” he said.”