Back together and set to pack a punch

MEMO to the All Blacks: Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale will be looking to find Israel Folau at every opportunity in Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup clash in Sydney.

“Always. You’re stupid if you’re not,” Beale said yesterday.

Beale is making no secret of his intention to get the ball in Folau’s hands after watching the superstar fullback’s historic tryscoring prowess from afar during the Wallabies’ winter Tests.

With doubles against Fiji, Scotland and Italy, Folau became the first-ever Wallaby to bag two tries in three successive Tests.

“This year he’s been incredible in the June series. He’s been on fire,” said Beale ahead of his first Test for Australia since the 2015 World Cup final loss to New Zealand at Twickenham.

After a season in the English Premiership with Wasps, Beale is excited about the prospect of reuniting with Folau.

The midfield maestro says the on-field chemistry between the pair is almost second nature.

“So, for me, I don’t look to overdo it,” Beale said.

“We’ve got a good understanding of what we want from each other and we don’t think about it too much.

At the physical peak of his career, 28-year-old Beale believes he has returned from England a more rounded player and hopes the experience has him equipped more than ever for the challenge of trying to stop the All Blacks.

“You want to keep learning about the game,” he said.