Wallabies invest in Beale’s brilliance

Kurtley Beale plays his first Test for the Wallabies since the 2015 World Cup final in Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup/Rugby Championship showdown with the All Blacks.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has looked to Beale at inside centre to counter Sonny Bill Williams. Cheika has also given a Test debut to code hopper Curtis Rona, who was impressive for the Western Force in his first season of Rugby Union.

Jonathan Kaplan’s Bledisloe Cup Best XV

The New Zealand-born Rona played Rugby League for North Queensland and Canterbury NRL and he takes the place of injured wing Dane Haylett-Petty. Rona has played only one match for the Force on the wing and spent the rest of the season at outside centre.

Wallabies

1. Scott Sio (32 Tests)
2. Stephen Moore (120 Tests)
3. Allan Alaalatoa (11 Tests)
4. Rory Arnold (12 Tests)
5. Adam Coleman (12 Tests)
6. Ned Hanigan (3 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (c) (68 Tests)
8. Sean McMahon (15 Tests)
9. Will Genia (78 Tests)
10. Bernard Foley (45 Tests)
11. Curtis Rona*
12. Kurtley Beale (60 Tests)
13. Samu Kerevi (8 Tests)
14. Henry Speight (12 Tests)
15. Israel Folau (55 Tests)

Substitutes16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (71 Tests)
17. Tom Robertson (9 Tests)
18. Sekope Kepu (80 Tests)
19. Rob Simmons (71 Tests)
20. Lopeti Timani (7 Tests)
21. Nick Phipps (52 Tests)
22. Reece Hodge (13 Tests)
23. Tevita Kuridrani (47 Tests)