Wallaby star not part of new coach's plans?
NEWS: Already the Wallabies were going to be on a rebuilding mission this year after a raft of senior players departed overseas post the 2019 World Cup, but the latest reports out of Australia suggest that one of the remaining senior members of the squad could also be out of favour.
The Sydney Morning Herald are reporting that Kurtley Beale, who has accrued over 120 Super Rugby caps for the Waratahs, has been left out of a wider Australian training squad put together by new head coach Dave Rennie and his assistants.
The unofficial “players of national interest” squad is comprised of Wallaby-eligible players that the coaching set-up believe could be a part of their plans later in the year.
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While exclusion from the squad doesn’t mean a player is out of the running for international selection, it also won’t come as great news for Beale, who is possibly weighing up a move to France next year.
Beale, with 92 Test caps to his name, is one of the most experienced players still residing in Australia after the likes of David Pocock, Bernard Foley, Christian Lealiifano, Will Genia, Samu Kerevi, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Rory Arnold all called time on their international careers after the World Cup.
While he hasn’t had the most exemplary season for the Waratahs, who were languishing near the bottom of the Super Rugby table prior to the competition’s suspension last month, many would still expect the utility back to be included as at least a squad option for the international season.
Beale’s other Waratahs teammates aren’t rumoured to make up a large portion of the squad either thanks to their slow start to the season, although young prop Angus Bell is a supposed inclusion.
Other young guns rumoured to be included are Brumbies backs Noah Lolesio and Irae Simone and the Reds trio of Angus Blyth, Jock Campbell and Harry Wilson.
With Foley and Lealiifano heading overseas, the Wallabies are in dire need of some depth in the flyhalf position and Lolesio has been the form 10 in Australia this season.
There are no wider expectations regarding when rugby will be back on the table, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Wallabies were scheduled to host Ireland and Fiji in July before competing in The Rugby Championship a month later.
Sydney Morning Herald & @RugbyPass
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