Rugby:Australia will not risk star full-back Kurtley Beale unless he is 100 per cent fit to play in Sunday's Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. Beale is recovering from a left hamstring strain that has twice forced him off the field during the tournament, most recently in the Wallabies' quarter-final victory over South Africa.
Australia coach Robbie Deans today named Beale in his provisional starting line-up to face the All Blacks — but he also outlined a contingency plan. If Beale fails to prove his fitness, the versatile Adam Ashley-Cooper will switch to full-back with Anthony Fainga’a to start at outside centre.
“He’ll have to convince us that he’s 100 per cent,” said Deans. “He did a significant amount of running this morning and he was comfortable but in his position he’s got to be good at top end (speed) and repeated top end.
“He’ll have to go again tomorrow morning to first of all show he’s had no ill-effects off the back of the work he did today. Then he’ll have to go again and convince himself firstly and us secondly that he’s good to go.”
Inside centre Pat McCabe and prop Sekope Kepu have recovered from shoulder and ankle injuries respectively to start in an unchanged side from the quarter-final, if Beale is fit. The one confirmed change on the bench is the inclusion of abrasive Queensland Reds lock Rob Simmons ahead of Nathan Sharpe, who will have to wait for his 100th Test cap.
The All Blacks have had injury problems of their own, with captain Richie McCaw carrying a foot injury while Aaron Cruden starts at fly-half after Dan Carter and then Colin Slade suffered groin injuries.
“Richie will play out of his skin,” said Deans, the New Zealander and former All Blacks assistant coach. “He’s one of those blokes. You’ve only got to look at the way he returns from injury after a long lay-off. He doesn’t work his way back into form and back into the game, he hits the ground running. We’re expecting the best from him.”
Deans was a member of the New Zealand coaching staff at the 2003 World Cup — but insisted he sees everything now in gold and green, not all black.
“It’s often suggested to me that I’ve got mixed emotions. I’m firmly embedded now,” he said. “There’s none of that. I’ve worked with this group for a long time. You establish connections and particularly when you’ve suffered together, it galvanises those connections.”
Australia team to play New Zealand in Rugby World Cup semi-final, at Eden Park, Auckland on Sunday (kick-off: 9.00am BST): K Beale (NSW Waratahs) or A Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies); J O’Connor (Western Force), A Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies) or A Fainga’a (Queensland Reds), P McCabe (Brumbies), D Ioane (Queensland Reds); Q Cooper (Queensland Reds), W Genia (Queensland Reds); S Kepu (NSW Waratahs), S Moore (Brumbies), B Alexander (Brumbies), D Vickerman (NSW Waratahs), J Horwill (Queensland Reds, captain), R Elsom (Brumbies), D Pocock (Western Force), R Samo (Queensland Reds). Replacements: T Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs), J Slipper (Queensland Reds), R Simmons (Queensland Reds), B McCalman (Western Force), L Burgess (NSW Waratahs), B Barnes (NSW Waratahs), A Fainga’a (Queensland Reds) or R Horne (NSW Waratahs).
