2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Take it to them, head on': Veteran's advice to Wallabies after almost shocking Lions
Kurtley Beale said he hoped the Wallabies will be inspired by the combative tactics of the First Nations and Pasifika side in their narrow 24-19 loss to the Lions at Marvel Stadium, saying the way to beat the touring side is to 'take it to them, head on'.
Beale's comments came as FNP coach Toutai Kefu said the side were motivated by the Lions vetoing the selection of Pete Samu, which Kefu labelled 'pretty poor' and he went on to say the former Wallaby back-rower would have made a potentially winning difference to the invitational side.
The FNP team turned in an inspiring performance after being widely written off, and with most pundits and bookies expecting them to get beaten by a cricket score.
But with just a week's training, the Kefu-coached team came within a whisker of handing the Lions their first loss of the tour. The FNP team trailed, and came back twice, in the first and second halves to get within a converted try of a victory, but ran out of time.
The performance was inspired by an aggressive, in-your-face physicality by the FNP squad – led Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Charlie Gamble – which hugely unsettled the Lions.
Asked post-game if that was the blueprint for the Wallabies to beat the Lions at the MCG on Saturday, Beale said: 'I think so; you need to take it to them, head on. There were some patches there where we had the momentum and the Lions were taking a back-foot step.
'It created opportunities for us. The boys, they love the physicality. I think playing rugby, you need physicality to lay the platform for your backs to play off, and they bring that.'
Beale was asked if he believed the Wallabies would have been inspired, and said: 'I hope so.'
