Under-pressure
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie may be forced to name his squad for next
week's Bledisloe Cup match before an Australian Rugby Union (ARU)
investigation into Kurtley Beale is completed.
Troubled star Beale was immediately whisked away by ARU officials upon
touching down in Sydney on Tuesday night with his playing future unclear
following a mid-air confrontation with Wallabies staffer Di Patston.
The ARU's integrity unit is looking to finalise its investigation into
the incident, which occurred when the team was en route between South
Africa and Argentina, by the end of the week.
Both Beale and McKenzie are set to be interviewed at the game's
headquarters in St Leonards on Wednesday and the Wallabies coach will
announce his squad for the third Bledisloe - against New Zealand in
Brisbane on October 18 - on either Thursday or Friday this week.
Depending how far integrity unit boss Phil Thompson is already through
his investigation, findings into Beale may not be finalised by the time
the squad is announced. With inside back Matt Toomua battling a
concussion problem, McKenzie would be hard-pressed leaving Beale out of
his squad on form alone.
Beale arrived home from Australia's disastrous tour, where they lost to
the Springboks and then historically to Argentina, to waiting media, and
was immediately escorted away by David Crombie, the ARU President.
The off-contract New South Wales Waratahs playmaker has been linked to
possible moves to the National Rugby League or French rugby.
McKenzie emerged through the arrival gate and told reporters he couldn't
confirm whether Beale would be included in his squad to face the All
Blacks should the investigation into his off-field behaviour still be
ongoing.
"You're asking questions I haven't even got around to thinking about the
squad," said McKenzie, who reportedly sat next to Patston at the time
of the alleged incident and later accompanied the Business Manager to
Buenos Aires airport for her immediate flight home to Australia.
"Obviously we've already flagged the ARU has undertaken an investigation and that will happen.
I don't know the exact timing. Obviously it's been targeted for this week. It's been a tough period."
McKenzie has flagged that personnel changes could be on the horizon for
the end-of-year Spring Tour, after several stars have failed to impress
from extended opportunities.
Stars Will Genia and Quade Cooper are both expected to play in an NRC
game on Thursday at Brookvale Oval and are on the comeback trail.
McKenzie confirmed the coaching staff was looking through options.
"We've got lots of situations now with injuries," he said. "We've gone
through the replays and spent all Sunday on that topic looking at the
football side of it. There are some bits and pieces that will be a
discussion amongst the coaching staff and there are things we're looking
at. I've had lots of challenges in the job but it's quite clear we're
trying to make progress and not everything is going our way
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