Beale picked at No.12 to save Tahs' season

[travelling_gerry]

Rupert Guinness | April 28, 2009


THE Waratahs have made three personnel and four positional changes to their starting side to play the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Kurtley Beale has been picked at No.12 to give NSW two ball players with Daniel Halangahu remaining at No.10. Peter Playford has been promoted to the wing, meaning Lachie Turner switches to fullback for Sam Norton-Knight. Wallabies prop Al Baxter returns from his hamstring injury to take back the No.3 jersey from rookie Dan Palmer.

Norton-Knight is on the bench, along with Tom Carter. They have been recovering from ankle and groin strains respectively.

"It is not just trying something new," Waratahs coach Chris Hickey said of the changes. "We hope it is going to give us a few more attacking options, given that we have got to win two games and take a bonus point in each one.

"Our defence has been good all year, so I think we can rely on that. So then we just have to try that attack focus. We think having a second ball player at 12 [Beale] will help us in that regard."


http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...684400442.html

[Endurance]

I can really see Beale having a blinder this game. Tahs will be out to get the 4 trys and he and Halangahu will be given more freedom to attack and play their natural game.

[GIGS20]

But will the passes stick after a season of bash-it-up rugby?

[JediKnight]

So the Tahs are grooming another fullback (Turner)....wonder if Drew knows that!

I reckon that there'll be even more dropped ball at first receiver as Halangahu & Beale will be standing so close to each other, both thinking that they should be getting the ball first.

[GIGS20]

I remember the last time Turner played Fullback......this seems like a fair amount of deckchair shuffling......glug glug glug

[Burgs]

Say goodbye to the reasonable platform they have been enjoying too...