Force-ful boost as Beale returns for Super finals push
Kurtley Beale will start at fullback for the Western Force in the 36-year-old's injury comeback as the Perth squad plots an Auckland upset.
The 95-Test Wallabies talent was on the cusp of an international recall when he hurt his achilles playing club rugby in Sydney last June.
Ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour, he'll put himself back on the radar for what would be a remarkable Test return when the Force look to hold on to a top-six spot against the battling Blues at Eden Park on Friday.
The Blues (17 points), last year's runaway Super Rugby Pacific champions, are ninth with a 3-7 record.
But they would draw level on points with the Force (4-1-5) with a bonus-point win in round 12 at their traditional fortress.
Force skipper Jeremy Williams is also back at lock, while cagey halfback Nic White will come off the bench after missing last week's loss to the Chiefs with concussion.
The Waratahs, sitting in seventh place, have also reloaded for their clutch contest against the ACT Brumbies.
Captain and halfback Jake Gordon will start in his comeback from a knee injury suffered in round two.
Props Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou, as well as flanker Rob Leota are back from an enforced rest, while Langi Gleeson will wear the No.8.
The Waratahs can do their own finals hopes wonders, and strike a blow to the Brumbies' chances of a top-four finish, with a victory in Canberra on Saturday.
"It's a big boost for the group to get our captain and leader back, especially in a big game like this," Waratahs coach Dan McKellar said.
"They (Tupou, Bell and Leota) have freshened up and they've been bouncing around the building this week."They're keen and excited to get back on the field and contribute."
Rory Scott swaps in for Luke Reimer at flanker in the Brumbies' only change to the starting side that was upset by the Hurricanes.
The Reds will attempt to strike the right balance in Suva, with key trio Tom Lynagh, Josh Canham and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto all named on the bench to face the Fijian Drua.
Harry McLaughlin-Phillips will start in the No.10 instead of Lynagh, while Ryan Smith and Angus Blyth will be the starting locks.
George Blake, injured when coming on at hooker last weekend, joined Josh Nasser and Matt Faessler on the sidelines to offer Max Craig a potential Super Rugby debut off the bench.
The Reds are fourth and have away games against the Drua, Waratahs and Brumbies in coming weeks.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Queen of Queen's: Age no barrier for champ mum-of-two
German qualifier Tatjana Maria has become the first woman to win a title at Queen's Club since 1973 after beating eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-4 on the Andy Murray Arena. The 37-year-old mother-of-two claimed the biggest title of her career on Sunday to cap off the first women's tournament held at the historic west London venue in 52 years. It was a family affair for Maria, whose daughters, 11-year-old Charlotte and four-year-old Cecilia, joined her husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria in the front row to watch her dispatch American Anisimova in one hour and 23 minutes. Maria, who knocked out top-20 players Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys en route, becomes the oldest player ever to win a WTA 500 event and the most venerable in any tour singles event since 2020, when Serena Williams - who also returned to tennis after having children - won in Auckland at 38. "It means a lot to me, because I'm 37 years old and I won this trophy today," said Maria, who confirmed she would like her career to last for at least another two years so she can play doubles as soon as her eldest is eligible. "In the past, people were always saying, 'you're too old', but actually I'm a good example that even at my age, you can still win big trophies. "I'm super proud of myself that I could win this tournament, because I always believed, and my husband too. "That's why we kept going, because there was aways this belief that I could win big tournaments and do great things on the tour, so I'm really, really proud of this." Maria replaces Olga Morozova, who once coached a young Andy Murray after whom the club's centre court is now named, as the most recent female winner at Queen's. Fittingly, she marked the venue's new chapter by scribbling "queen of Queen's" on the TV camera lens. Maria entered this WTA 500 tournament at 86th in the rankings, but the triumph will catapult her to No.43 when they update on Monday -- when Emma Raducanu will also officially take over from Katie Boulter as British No.1. The 2022 German Wimbledon semi-finalist Maria won her first WTA title on grass at Mallorca in 2018, following it with back-to-back clay court trophies at Bogota in 2023. In the week's other WTA grass-court final at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens beat Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to claim her second title of the year and her 10th in all. "It's been an incredible week," said Mertens, who had to dig deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova in Saturday's semi-final. German qualifier Tatjana Maria has become the first woman to win a title at Queen's Club since 1973 after beating eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-4 on the Andy Murray Arena. The 37-year-old mother-of-two claimed the biggest title of her career on Sunday to cap off the first women's tournament held at the historic west London venue in 52 years. It was a family affair for Maria, whose daughters, 11-year-old Charlotte and four-year-old Cecilia, joined her husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria in the front row to watch her dispatch American Anisimova in one hour and 23 minutes. Maria, who knocked out top-20 players Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys en route, becomes the oldest player ever to win a WTA 500 event and the most venerable in any tour singles event since 2020, when Serena Williams - who also returned to tennis after having children - won in Auckland at 38. "It means a lot to me, because I'm 37 years old and I won this trophy today," said Maria, who confirmed she would like her career to last for at least another two years so she can play doubles as soon as her eldest is eligible. "In the past, people were always saying, 'you're too old', but actually I'm a good example that even at my age, you can still win big trophies. "I'm super proud of myself that I could win this tournament, because I always believed, and my husband too. "That's why we kept going, because there was aways this belief that I could win big tournaments and do great things on the tour, so I'm really, really proud of this." Maria replaces Olga Morozova, who once coached a young Andy Murray after whom the club's centre court is now named, as the most recent female winner at Queen's. Fittingly, she marked the venue's new chapter by scribbling "queen of Queen's" on the TV camera lens. Maria entered this WTA 500 tournament at 86th in the rankings, but the triumph will catapult her to No.43 when they update on Monday -- when Emma Raducanu will also officially take over from Katie Boulter as British No.1. The 2022 German Wimbledon semi-finalist Maria won her first WTA title on grass at Mallorca in 2018, following it with back-to-back clay court trophies at Bogota in 2023. In the week's other WTA grass-court final at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens beat Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to claim her second title of the year and her 10th in all. "It's been an incredible week," said Mertens, who had to dig deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova in Saturday's semi-final. German qualifier Tatjana Maria has become the first woman to win a title at Queen's Club since 1973 after beating eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-4 on the Andy Murray Arena. The 37-year-old mother-of-two claimed the biggest title of her career on Sunday to cap off the first women's tournament held at the historic west London venue in 52 years. It was a family affair for Maria, whose daughters, 11-year-old Charlotte and four-year-old Cecilia, joined her husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria in the front row to watch her dispatch American Anisimova in one hour and 23 minutes. Maria, who knocked out top-20 players Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys en route, becomes the oldest player ever to win a WTA 500 event and the most venerable in any tour singles event since 2020, when Serena Williams - who also returned to tennis after having children - won in Auckland at 38. "It means a lot to me, because I'm 37 years old and I won this trophy today," said Maria, who confirmed she would like her career to last for at least another two years so she can play doubles as soon as her eldest is eligible. "In the past, people were always saying, 'you're too old', but actually I'm a good example that even at my age, you can still win big trophies. "I'm super proud of myself that I could win this tournament, because I always believed, and my husband too. "That's why we kept going, because there was aways this belief that I could win big tournaments and do great things on the tour, so I'm really, really proud of this." Maria replaces Olga Morozova, who once coached a young Andy Murray after whom the club's centre court is now named, as the most recent female winner at Queen's. Fittingly, she marked the venue's new chapter by scribbling "queen of Queen's" on the TV camera lens. Maria entered this WTA 500 tournament at 86th in the rankings, but the triumph will catapult her to No.43 when they update on Monday -- when Emma Raducanu will also officially take over from Katie Boulter as British No.1. The 2022 German Wimbledon semi-finalist Maria won her first WTA title on grass at Mallorca in 2018, following it with back-to-back clay court trophies at Bogota in 2023. In the week's other WTA grass-court final at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens beat Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to claim her second title of the year and her 10th in all. "It's been an incredible week," said Mertens, who had to dig deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova in Saturday's semi-final. German qualifier Tatjana Maria has become the first woman to win a title at Queen's Club since 1973 after beating eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-4 on the Andy Murray Arena. The 37-year-old mother-of-two claimed the biggest title of her career on Sunday to cap off the first women's tournament held at the historic west London venue in 52 years. It was a family affair for Maria, whose daughters, 11-year-old Charlotte and four-year-old Cecilia, joined her husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria in the front row to watch her dispatch American Anisimova in one hour and 23 minutes. Maria, who knocked out top-20 players Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys en route, becomes the oldest player ever to win a WTA 500 event and the most venerable in any tour singles event since 2020, when Serena Williams - who also returned to tennis after having children - won in Auckland at 38. "It means a lot to me, because I'm 37 years old and I won this trophy today," said Maria, who confirmed she would like her career to last for at least another two years so she can play doubles as soon as her eldest is eligible. "In the past, people were always saying, 'you're too old', but actually I'm a good example that even at my age, you can still win big trophies. "I'm super proud of myself that I could win this tournament, because I always believed, and my husband too. "That's why we kept going, because there was aways this belief that I could win big tournaments and do great things on the tour, so I'm really, really proud of this." Maria replaces Olga Morozova, who once coached a young Andy Murray after whom the club's centre court is now named, as the most recent female winner at Queen's. Fittingly, she marked the venue's new chapter by scribbling "queen of Queen's" on the TV camera lens. Maria entered this WTA 500 tournament at 86th in the rankings, but the triumph will catapult her to No.43 when they update on Monday -- when Emma Raducanu will also officially take over from Katie Boulter as British No.1. The 2022 German Wimbledon semi-finalist Maria won her first WTA title on grass at Mallorca in 2018, following it with back-to-back clay court trophies at Bogota in 2023. In the week's other WTA grass-court final at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens beat Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to claim her second title of the year and her 10th in all. "It's been an incredible week," said Mertens, who had to dig deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova in Saturday's semi-final.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Queen of Queen's: Age no barrier for champ mum-of-two
German qualifier Tatjana Maria has become the first woman to win a title at Queen's Club since 1973 after beating eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-4 on the Andy Murray Arena. The 37-year-old mother-of-two claimed the biggest title of her career on Sunday to cap off the first women's tournament held at the historic west London venue in 52 years. It was a family affair for Maria, whose daughters, 11-year-old Charlotte and four-year-old Cecilia, joined her husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria in the front row to watch her dispatch American Anisimova in one hour and 23 minutes. Maria, who knocked out top-20 players Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys en route, becomes the oldest player ever to win a WTA 500 event and the most venerable in any tour singles event since 2020, when Serena Williams - who also returned to tennis after having children - won in Auckland at 38. "It means a lot to me, because I'm 37 years old and I won this trophy today," said Maria, who confirmed she would like her career to last for at least another two years so she can play doubles as soon as her eldest is eligible. "In the past, people were always saying, 'you're too old', but actually I'm a good example that even at my age, you can still win big trophies. "I'm super proud of myself that I could win this tournament, because I always believed, and my husband too. "That's why we kept going, because there was aways this belief that I could win big tournaments and do great things on the tour, so I'm really, really proud of this." Maria replaces Olga Morozova, who once coached a young Andy Murray after whom the club's centre court is now named, as the most recent female winner at Queen's. Fittingly, she marked the venue's new chapter by scribbling "queen of Queen's" on the TV camera lens. Maria entered this WTA 500 tournament at 86th in the rankings, but the triumph will catapult her to No.43 when they update on Monday -- when Emma Raducanu will also officially take over from Katie Boulter as British No.1. The 2022 German Wimbledon semi-finalist Maria won her first WTA title on grass at Mallorca in 2018, following it with back-to-back clay court trophies at Bogota in 2023.
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Facial injury denies NSW reserve spot at Origin II
Keaon Koloamatangi has been ruled out of NSW's extended squad for State of Origin II after suffering a suspected fractured eye socket for South Sydney. Koloamatangi left the field late after copping a high hit in the Rabbitohs' loss to Canterbury on Sunday night. He subsequently passed his concussion test, but Souths staff fear he may have suffered bone damage and the forward therefore won't fly to Perth as planned. NSW officials have since confirmed Koloamatangi has been ruled out of the Blues' squad, with Canterbury second-rower Jacob Preston brought in. Koloamatangi had only been listed as 19th man after losing out to Stefano Utoikamanu in the race to replace the injured Mitch Barnett. It means he only would have featured in Wednesday night's game if the Blues suffered an injury in the final two days of preparation. NSW have already lost Haumole Olakau'atu as a reserve for game two, after he requested not to fly west with his partner due to give birth. The Manly second-rower then suffered a shoulder dislocation in the Sea Eagles' loss to Gold Coast on Friday night. The Blues already have Penrith prop Lindsay Smith in their 20-man squad as cover. It was initially thought he would fly back to Sydney on Tuesday in order to play for Penrith in Auckland on Saturday, but that is now likely to be delayed. Keaon Koloamatangi has been ruled out of NSW's extended squad for State of Origin II after suffering a suspected fractured eye socket for South Sydney. Koloamatangi left the field late after copping a high hit in the Rabbitohs' loss to Canterbury on Sunday night. He subsequently passed his concussion test, but Souths staff fear he may have suffered bone damage and the forward therefore won't fly to Perth as planned. NSW officials have since confirmed Koloamatangi has been ruled out of the Blues' squad, with Canterbury second-rower Jacob Preston brought in. Koloamatangi had only been listed as 19th man after losing out to Stefano Utoikamanu in the race to replace the injured Mitch Barnett. It means he only would have featured in Wednesday night's game if the Blues suffered an injury in the final two days of preparation. NSW have already lost Haumole Olakau'atu as a reserve for game two, after he requested not to fly west with his partner due to give birth. The Manly second-rower then suffered a shoulder dislocation in the Sea Eagles' loss to Gold Coast on Friday night. The Blues already have Penrith prop Lindsay Smith in their 20-man squad as cover. It was initially thought he would fly back to Sydney on Tuesday in order to play for Penrith in Auckland on Saturday, but that is now likely to be delayed. Keaon Koloamatangi has been ruled out of NSW's extended squad for State of Origin II after suffering a suspected fractured eye socket for South Sydney. Koloamatangi left the field late after copping a high hit in the Rabbitohs' loss to Canterbury on Sunday night. He subsequently passed his concussion test, but Souths staff fear he may have suffered bone damage and the forward therefore won't fly to Perth as planned. NSW officials have since confirmed Koloamatangi has been ruled out of the Blues' squad, with Canterbury second-rower Jacob Preston brought in. Koloamatangi had only been listed as 19th man after losing out to Stefano Utoikamanu in the race to replace the injured Mitch Barnett. It means he only would have featured in Wednesday night's game if the Blues suffered an injury in the final two days of preparation. NSW have already lost Haumole Olakau'atu as a reserve for game two, after he requested not to fly west with his partner due to give birth. The Manly second-rower then suffered a shoulder dislocation in the Sea Eagles' loss to Gold Coast on Friday night. The Blues already have Penrith prop Lindsay Smith in their 20-man squad as cover. It was initially thought he would fly back to Sydney on Tuesday in order to play for Penrith in Auckland on Saturday, but that is now likely to be delayed.
