Waratahs ease Beale's load, Davidson Run on Debut

[Burgs]

Waratahs ease Beale's load

March 27, 2007

WHIZKID Kurtley Beale was switched to full back as the struggling New South Wales Waratahs rang the changes today for their Super 14 clash with the champion Crusaders at Aussie Stadium on Saturday.

Sam Norton-Knight takes over from Beale at five eighth while Peter Hewat goes from full back to the vacant right wing.

The move takes Beale out of the firing line in the thick of defence, where he has struggled, and may give him more chance to use his brilliant running skills in counter-attack.

The versatile Norton-Knight was badly out of form on the wing against the Stormers two weeks ago but should relish the opportunity to show his ability in the playmaker role.

Coach Ewen McKenzie has handed Tim Davidson his starting debut at openside flanker ahead of Beau Robinson, with the daunting task of competing with New Zealand captain Richie McCaw for breakdown ball.

And he has pushed Australia No.8 David Lyons up to start in the second row for the first time in his career after losing Dean Mumm to injury.

"Our circumstances this season have tested our resourcefulness but I'm happy with the mix," said Waratahs head coach Ewen McKenzie.

"It's a shame to lose Dean but the upside is it's not a long term injury like we've seen with the likes of Dan Vickerman and Al Kanaar.

"I think David will prove to be a more than capable replacement, even in an unfamiliar position.

"He's a very good lineout jumper and he's about to become the third most capped player in NSW history, so we're not giving away anything in terms of experience."

McKenzie showed a lot of faith in breakaway Davidson.

"The breakdown will be a key battle," McKenzie said.

"The Crusaders are excellent scavengers and Richie McCaw is the best in the world.

"But our back row will front up in that area and we have some good options to introduce from the bench."

He said the Beale switch was to ease the load on the teenage rookie in his first season.

"We've wanted to reduce Kurtley's load for a few weeks and this is the best way to manage that under the circumstances," McKenzie said.

"Sam (Norton-Knight) got through plenty of work at ten in defence against the Blues (last weekend) and playing him in attack against the Crusaders will free up Kurtley significantly."

AAP

[The InnFORCEr]

Just as well we spread that talent so thin across Australia last year hey Eddie. If not for that the Reds and Tahs would have even less expirienced players to call on in troubled times.

I'm sure Tim wont be the last player to leave the Force ranks to seek starting opportunities elsewhere. Good luck to him.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Isnt the reason Hewat cant crack a Wallaby gig is his lack of pace? Whats he doing on a wing...Sage?

[MysticBalls]

Beales just admitted on FSN that he hasn't played much FB. Either hes foxing or Crus will send heaps of bombs his way, anyway. Two-dads had confidence last year and he looks better at 10 than wing. He needs to be picked there to get his conf back. I will pray for young Kurtley.

[Sagerian]

Lack of defense.... and decision making... He's actually quite quick.


I was picketting to get two-dads at 10 since the start of the season, it's just a shame his confidence is down right now. Have to see how he goes.

[Burgs]

MB, the only time Beale has played at #15 that I am aware of was during the Australian Schoolboys Tour.
A huge ask to expect him to play there at Super 14!
It just keeps getting worse for the Tahs

Lyons becomes latest casualty

Rupert Guinness
Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Pity the Waratahs against Super 14 champions the Crusaders on Saturday if their luck continues to desert them like it did yesterday, as Ewen McKenzie lamented the loss of a third second-rower for the season.

Just 40 minutes after McKenzie admitted that "to have our third contracted second-rower unavailable is obviously testing us in that area", Wallaby David Lyons - thrust into the position vacated by Dean Mumm after he sustained a shoulder injury in Friday's loss to the Blues - was sidelined with a corked right thigh.

After training at Victoria Barracks, McKenzie must have wondered if he'd upset the gods in rugby heaven. To lose a player of Lyons's calibre - even if the Wallabies back-rower had never played in the second row for NSW - for a game against a team of All Blacks could prove catastrophic.

These had already been declared testing times for the Waratahs, but Lyons's injury scare left them teetering on utter despair that will only be surpassed should he not recover in time for Saturday's game.

The loss came after McKenzie named a Waratahs side that included the potentially high-risk move of switching five-eighth Kurtley Beale and fullback Sam Norton-Knight.

Beale's move may free him from the pressure of being the NSW pivot, even though he can now expect to be the target of high balls rather than the towering wall of Crusaders defenders, led by Richie McCaw, that had been planned for him.

But with Norton-Knight's recent lack of confidence - until he shows it has just been an aberration - it remains to be seen whether he is up to handling the Crusaders in attack and defence.

At least Norton-Knight, who played No.10 in defence against the Blues and joined NSW from the Brumbies hoping to play there, will be able to say he has had a crack at the position - and against the most formidable of foes, All Blacks playmaker Daniel Carter.

McKenzie backed Norton-Knight yesterday. "There have been ups and downs for him in terms of playing form," he said. "He has handled that very well and has worked very hard to get himself back in.

"Last week, he gave a very credible performance in defence. They scored tries against us, but it wasn't on first phase. They really did their work well after that. He nailed that defensive position pretty well. We need to recognise and reward it."

McKenzie said Norton-Knight was creative in attack and had speed. "[He can] play the game direct, can move the ball around and has a kicking game," he said. "So I don't think we suffer from making that change. It gives Kurtley a bit of time to breathe."

But he added: "Whether we play that way the whole game, we will see how things go".

Norton-Knight and Beale could still switch roles during the game in defence and attack, as they did against the Blues.

The Waratahs included one other change to their first XV line-up, slotting Tim Davidson in at No.7 for his Super 14 starting debut.

[The EnForcer]

This could be the biggest score of the season. Don't get your knickers in a twist Sage, I'm not having a go at the Tahs but to have an untested backline formation against a highly impressive renewed Crusaders side is going to be murder for the Tahs. The Crusaders looked as though they were just getting it together last week by the end of the game, so I'm sure there is more to come.

[Sagerian]

Don't get your knickers in a twist Sage

I never have when it's constructive conversation.. ever.



In truth the Tahs could be looking at a big scoreline, I thought they handled the Blues offense (the most cohesive in the S14) quite poorly, but did well not to allow more points than they did (should have been another 7 or 14 points for the Blues).

Still, positional changes week in and week out are certainly not the mark of a team ready to win games. This is clearly rebuilding time.

[Burgs]

Considering a rebuilding period, is Beau Robinson injured Sage?
I didn't see him last week but might have thought Link would persist with him a bit longer, especially as Davidson is a bit more of a known quantity at this level?
An interesting aspect of all this is that it is in the main the senior players who are, or are getting, injured at the Tahs, Reds and Brumbies this season.
Could be a coincidence but perhaps it indicates an unsatisfactory preseason or trying too hard to make the France Squad... or both.

[Sagerian]

He missed last week due to shin splints but he's back this week.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

This could be ugly Sage, but i do like 2 dads at 10. Will perhaps Lote turn up this week? Im seriously disappointed in him. Blowing bubbles everywhere and doing bugger all. I hope for Australian rugby that the Tahs can step up this weekend and give those bastards a run.

[chook]

Well said TLH. I think the Tahs can pull off an upset here. I'm only saying that because I have mental problems

[Burgs]

My vote for post of the week Chook!
Thanks for the laugh

[chook]

bloody tahs nearly ruined my joke

[frontrow]

I know, i reckon you do have mental problems ...And if they had one it would have proved you sane, sort of, in a round about way ....