Kurtley can finish in blaze of Euro glory

KURTLEY Beale’s decision to return to Australia after one season in the Premiership, or forfeit his chances of playing for the Wallabies in the 2019 World Cup, will strike a bum note with Wasps fans who will not be happy to lose a back with such flair.

By the same token, having seen the way he skewered Bath with two touchdowns last weekend – the first of them from an imperious diagonal burst – it will be music to the ears of their opponents.

However, they would be advised not to drop their guard too soon, because Beale – and the Wasps side he is part of – will want something to show for the spirit of enterprise they have shown this season.

Last year their run in Europe, and in the Premiership, ended in the semi-finals – and this time they will have their eyes more beadily fixed on one of the big prizes.

So will Dai Young, who never quite managed to get over the line in the European Cup during his lengthy stint at Cardiff Blues, with the bizarre penalty shoot-out after the 26-26 draw against Leicester in the 2009 semi-final the most hurtful of the stumbling blocks.

Credit, too, to Young, and also to the Wasps backs coach Lee Blackett, for welding the brilliant but sometimes wayward talents of Beale, Danny Cipriani, Kyle Eastmond (sadly now injured) into such a coherent strike force. Add Elliot Daly, Christian Wade, Dan Robson, Joe Simpson and the irrepressible Jimmy Gopperth to the mix and the all-star cocktail in the backline is extraordinarily potent.

Now all it requires is for the Wasps pack to front-up and give wizards like Beale and co the ball on a silver platter – starting with their awkward European Cup quarter-final trip to Dublin to face Leinster in three weeks time.