Horwill: 'No hard feelings for Beale'
Australian captain James Horwill assured Kurtley Beale that the team "still loves" him after his dramatic late penalty misses cost the Wallabies a famous victory over the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.
Horwill said he told Beale to put the mistakes out of his mind after he pushed one penalty wide, and then slipped on the run-up to a straightforward kick in the dying seconds.
The Lions edged the win 23-21.
"I spoke to him and said: 'Don't worry about it, these things happen and you've just got to get on with it'," Horwill said.
"Everyone in the team still loves you so just get on with it and get back next week."
Beale's misses will be an unfortunate talking point after the first Test after he forced his way into Robbie Deans' side and had an immediate impact after coming on for the injured Berrick Barnes.
Beale, who has undergone treatment for alcohol-related problems in recent weeks, took over kicking duties from the wayward James O'Connor and slotted two kicks in assured fashion before the gremlins set in.
Israel Folau, who scored two tries in a sensational debut on the wing, said the whole team had sympathy for Beale.
"I think everyone feels for Kurtley but it's just unfortunate he slipped as he was going in to kick, but it's done and dusted and we just have to move onto next week," he said.
Welsh Lions wing George North said he had his heart in his mouth when Beale stepped up, after Australia sank Wales twice last year with late kicks. Beale also beat Wales with a last-gasp try in their last meeting in December.
"It was obviously deja vu going from a few Wales games, to finish like that in the last minute with a kick," said North.
"But it's a difficult position to be in with Kurtley Beale kicking that — I wouldn't like to be kicking that myself. As Wales we've lost a few times to last-minute kicks from Australia and it was a horrible sense of deja vu."
Beale's slip recalls some similar moments in football, including David Beckham's skied penalty for England against Turkey in 2003 and John Terry's fall as he missed a crucial spot-kick for Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final.
AFP
