Hammer blow for Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies as veteran’s comeback halted after suspected Achilles injury
Joe Schmidt and Kurtley Beale at Wallabies training.
Veteran Kurtley Beale has suffered a suspected Achilles injury in a club game for Randwick that may not just halt his comeback but throws his career into doubt.
The 35-year-old, who last played for Australia all the way back in 2021, had returned to form for the Western Force after a period of off-field turmoil.
Issues for Schmidt
His return to form was rewarded by new Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt, who has the difficult task of picking up all the pieces from the controversial Eddie Jones tenure.
However, the head coach will may now have to turn to someone else for backline experience with the extent of the injury yet to be revealed.
The Roar reported that Beale had been released to play for Randwick as he was not set to play against Wales next weekend, with Brumby Tom Wright the preferred options at 15. So, while it may not directly influence the playing plan, the loss of Beale is massive from an experience perspective.
Chasing history
Beale sits on 95 Test caps and is desperate to become the first Indigenous player to represent Australia 100 times. That and the lure of the British & Irish Lions tour next year was what motivated the star to move to the Western Force where the recall has come from.
“It’s a huge milestone within the game,” Beale told The Roar earlier in the week.
“These are little things that are huge motivators for me, it allows me to have that real purpose and it allows me to get up and go to training every day with a real strong purpose and an intent to be able to go out there and go for gold.
“I really enjoyed my time at this Force and a big carrot would be part of [having] another crack at the British and Irish Lions tour.
“So if that’s got to be at the Force and then work my way through there then, yeah, that’d be great. But we’re still in negotiations at the moment.”
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