Injury forces Beale out of semifinal
There is no way to dress it up, Kurtley Beale’s absence from the NSW Waratahs for their Super Rugby semifinal against the Highlanders on Saturday night due to injury is a major blow.
But it does not diminish the Waratahs’ confidence to still win the Allianz Stadium clash.
Beale’s continued side-lining due to his injured quadriceps, sustained in the warm-up before the Waratahs’ round 18 clash against the Reds, was confirmed after the side trained on Thursday.
Replacing Beale in the Waratahs’ starting side at No12 slot is Matt Carraro, while Jono Lance has been included on the bench to provide variation later in the game.
Carraro may not have the instinctive flair and flamboyance of Beale, but he will bring a direct and robust force to midfield attack.
Carraro’s strong defence is another dimension of his game in what should be crucial against a side that has such a potent No9 and No10 combination in halfback Aaron Smith and five-eighth Lima Sopoaga.
Waratahs No9 Nick Phipps realises the Smith and Sopoaga threat, saying: ‘‘There is a reason they are one of the best attacking teams in the comp led through those two.’’
However, while Phipps said the last year’s title winners ‘‘are quite confident’’ in the ability of Carraro and Lance to cover for Beale, he did not dismiss the difference the Wallaby could make to the team.
Phipps explained that by having Carraro at No12 ‘‘we would be able to play quite strongly around that centre field’’ while with Beale in the side ‘‘we would be able to expand a bit more. We also have Jono who can do both. He is sort of jack of all …’’
Phipps also said it was not just up to Carraro and later Lance to fill Beale’s void.
‘‘Some of the other ball players will be able to step up to that role when we want to play expansively, or if we want to play quite hard up the middle,’’ he said.
Phipps does not expect Beale’s absence will impact his own game too much.
‘‘It just a little bit of adaptation around the moves and where we want to go,’’ he said.
‘‘To me, it doesn’t matter really who you have got around [you]. You have to look after your own business first and then you can impact the team in a positive way.’’
Waratahs lock Will Skelton still feels the ‘‘disappointment’ of their 26-19 away loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin in round four, and says they will draw on their own belief to ‘‘really try and nullify and kill these boys this week.’’
Central to that will be executing fast and physical defence.
‘‘That is how we play every week,’’ Skelton said.
‘‘Nothing is really going to change.
‘‘But we might tweak a few things.’’