A bulked-up Kurtley Beale is being backed to thrive in the centres after being paired with former All Blacks star George Bridge for the Western Force’s clash with the Hurricanes in New Zealand on Friday.
Beale has been a jack-of-all trades during his glittering career, switching between flyhalf, fullback and the centres.
The 37-year-old has been mostly used at fullback since arriving at the Force, but he will be unleashed at inside centre against the Hurricanes.
Standing next to him in the No.13 jersey will be Bridge, who has been a revelation for the Force this season but played last week’s 39-31 loss to the Highlanders on the wing.
“KB has got a great voice and knows how to manage a game,” Force coach Simon Cron said of Beale’s switch to the No.12 jersey.
“He’s been in big moments all his life, and what he gives us is a great voice at 12.
“And he’s actually got a bigger body on him now than what I’ve seen in the past. He’s got quite strong, so he can handle the front line.”
Cron feels there will be a good cohesion between Bridge and Beale in the centres.
The Force sit second last with just one win to show from four games.
The third-placed Hurricanes have two wins from three games, including last week’s 59-19 smashing of the NSW Waratahs.
The Force were the centre of attention this week when it was revealed they had signed NRL star Zac Lomax on a two-year deal, starting immediately.
Lomax isn’t set to make his Force debut for several more weeks, but his move west is a big coup for a franchise looking to become relevant on the crowded Australian sporting market and achieve sustained success.
The Force have named an exciting backline against the Hurricanes, with Max Burey at fullback, Darby Lancaster and Bayley Kuenzle on the wings, Ben Donaldson at flyhalf, and Beale and Bridge in the centres.
And with the likes of Tom Robertson, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Jeremy Williams, Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny and Carlo Tizzano in the forward pack, Cron feels he has the weaponry to cause a big upset on NZ soil.
“A couple years ago, I remember playing (the Hurricanes) and thinking we were going to be in a bit of trouble,” Cron said.
“I think now, with the guys we have on that field, we can front up pretty well, like we did last year in the forward pack.
“Then it’s about the backs being able to execute their jobs, and I think we’ve got the group on the field this weekend to do that.”