Les Kiss says recalled Kurtley Beale will 'compete' for Wallabies' World Cup spot on UK tour
Australia coach Les Kiss said Kurtley Beale is being considered for a place in the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup squad after his surprise recall for next month’s spring tour of the UK and the inaugural Nations Championship finals from November 21-23. The 37-year-old was summoned after Hunter Paisami withdrew from the squad for personal reasons.
Beale’s call-up opens the possibility of his first appearance in green and gold since 2021 and extends his international tally to 95 caps. Kiss framed the selection as a bid to add depth ahead of next year’s home World Cup and insisted Beale’s inclusion was performance-driven rather than symbolic.
“No one comes in just to fill a void. All the decisions I’ve made along the way with the full backing of the coaches are because we’re trying to build depth in different areas,” Kiss said, emphasising the purpose behind squad moves. “It’s important that this is not just feeling it and hoping. We just want to make sure it works. And he’s in there to perform.”
Kiss cited positive reports from inside Australian rugby on Beale’s influence, saying: “The feedback I got from Nic White, Simon Cron and Brad Harris from the Force is he’s been super quality around the group in terms of holistically just helping drive the program, similar to James O’Connor.” He also referenced Beale’s tournament experience: “We just need him in that space, and he’ll bring his experience … I know he’s hungry to do what he can,” the coach said of the three-time World Cup playmaker.
On the No 10 position, Kiss expressed confidence in the younger options while reserving final judgment: “I like the fact that we’ve given the younger guys a chance to grow with all that, without the experience sitting on their shoulders,” he said. “I can’t fault how they [10s] do their work … ‘Dono’ [Ben Donaldson] against South Africa showed really good qualities in how he took that game on. “Declan [Meredith] in that game [second Bledisloe Cup Test], he owned really important moments. There’s certainly a few little things … that he could have done better.” Kiss added he will reassess the position after the next Super Rugby Pacific season.
Back-rower Tom Hooper has been cleared to join the touring party after sustaining a shoulder issue in a club match last Saturday; it had raised doubts because of a prior scapula hairline fracture suffered against Ireland in July. Kiss explained the shoulder sensitivity and reported the scans were clear: “With that scapular issue that he has, if he gets a blow on it it’s just sorer,” Kiss said. “All scans have cleared everything. All his movements are coming back, and he’s going to join the camp in a good way, which is bloody fantastic for him.”
Kiss outlined the immediate challenge for the squad, noting the first Test against England on 8 November (9 November AEDT) at Twickenham and describing the matches as a critical preparation period. “We’ve got England coming up, an extremely experienced team. Twickenham, there’s no better place in rugby in a lot of ways, in terms of those wonderful battles between Australia and England,” he said. “There are real challenges that we know are ahead of us, but that’s what we need. “This is the last window before we close out into what will become a massive year for every country.”
Kiss’s remarks make clear that Beale will be evaluated alongside the current crop of playmakers during the UK tour and the Nations Championship, with the coaching group set to review the No 10 role after the Super Rugby Pacific season and ahead of final World Cup selections.