Beale says First Nations and Pasifika XV deserve more fixtures

eNCA

2 days ago

MELBOURNE - Wallabies great Kurtley Beale says the First Nations and Pasifika XV deserve regular fixtures against touring sides after the inaugural team's stirring performance against the British and Irish Lions.
The combative side comprised of Australians with First Nations or Pasifika heritage were largely written off before the clash in Melbourne on Tuesday after limited preparation.
But their passion and bone-rattling physicality surprised the tourists, who essentially fielded a B team, but still packed with top-class players.
The hosts scrubbed out an early 14-0 deficit to keep the contest on a knife edge, eventually losing 24-19 in a game that could have gone either way.
"I think so," said 95-Test veteran Beale when asked if the concept should be more than a one-off.
"You can see how much heart the boys played with. There's so much talent here.
"I think it's a great platform for all the young Pasifika and First Nations kids out there watching. Hopefully they can look at this jersey and some will aspire to it in future.
"I want this to be a fixture that sticks in the annual calendar," he added.
The host's tactics of aggressive, in-your-face physicality unsettled the Lions in a blueprint for how Joe Schmidt's Wallabies could approach the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Beale said he hoped the lessons had been learned.
"You need to take it to them, head on," he told reporters.
"It created opportunities for us. I think playing rugby, you need physicality to lay the platform for your backs to play off."
Much of the brute force was provided by towering lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and prop Taniela Tupou, who did their hopes of an Australia recall no harm.
Coach Toutai Kefu said the pair deserved another crack at the Test arena.
"I definitely would look at investing in him (Salakaia-Loto) and bringing him into the squad," he said.