RUGBY UNION
KURTLEY BEALE HITS CARDIFF BLUES WITH A FIRST
Kurtley Beale: Double try for Australia
Wednesday November 25,2009
By Steve Bale
AUSTRALIA’S emerging generation created an agreeable piece of history when they became the first Wallabies in 101 years of touring to beat Cardiff. For the tourists, this was an entirely useful exercise.
The Blues are the regionalised version of the club who had won on the Australians’ previous six visits to the Arms Park.
They were deprived of six members of the Wales team chosen yesterday for Saturday’s Test and even at full strength are only last-but-two in the Magners League.
On that basis it was hardly surprising that they were beaten, though they did have Gareth Cooper and Sam Warburton released by Wales coach Warren Gatland and Wallaby coach Robbie Deans had to minimise his own Test contingent.
In that respect, having to send Quade Cooper on for debut fly-half Matt Toomua after four minutes, or even at all, was not part of the plan. Centre Ryan Cross was the only starter from the defeat by Scotland.
Cardiff opened with a penalty by their All Black full-back Ben Blair but that was as good as it got for them and by half-time the Wallabies had two tries and victory was already theirs to lose.
Tyrone Smith put Kurtley Beale through a gap over halfway and had James O’Connor in close support as his link to first try-scorer Cross. O’Connor converted and added a penalty. Then Blair was scragged when forlornly running out of defence, losing possession to Cross and again O’Connor was in position to feed Smith, who sent Beale away for a second try converted by O’Connor.
In the second half the Wallabies had both Richard Brown and Matt Hodgson sin-binned but they finished with a flourish through late tries by Luke Morahan and Beale, both converted by O’Connor.
CARDIFF BLUES – Pen: Blair.
AUSTRALIA – Tries: Beale (2), Cross, Morahan. Cons: O’Connor (4). Pen: O’Connor.
