Beale back for the Rebels

The Rebels have selected troubled Wallaby Kurtley Beale on the bench for Friday’s clash with Super Rugby champions, the Chiefs, at AAMI Park.

Beale returns to the Rebels side for the first time since breaking his hand against the Waratahs.

The playmaker addressed the players and coaching staff on Tuesday, before taking to the training paddock later that afternoon.

Rebels coach Damien Hill said the decision was one that needed consultation, with the players having a considerable impact on the decision.

Speight makes Round 11 XV

Now that the dust has settled over in the south, we thought it was only right to hand out praise to the stars of Super Rugby, Round 11. Here’s the Planet Rugby XV for week 11 of Super Rugby.

Steyn, Speight made the top picks for week 11 in Super Rugby. Photo: Planet Rugby

15 Israel Folau (Waratahs): Playing his first game in South Africa, anyone in the capital who didn’t know the rugby league convert’s name certainly won’t forget it after this performance. Injected plenty of pace into the Waratahs back-line, looked dangerous every time he touched the ball and scored a superb try as a result.

14 Henry Speight (Brumbies): Undoubtedly the in-form wing in Australia. Speight bagged two tries for his efforts against the Force, as he continues to turn heads every time he touches the ball out wide.

Time not on Speight’s side

Henry Speight won’t dwell on selection for the Wallabies. Photo: Planet Rugby

In-form Brumbies wing Henry Speight will miss out on representing Australia and facing the British and Irish Lions by just a few months.

Based on his Super Rugby form, the Fijian-born speedster would have been an automatic choice in Wallaby coach Robbie Deans’ squad to tackle the Lions in June.

However, the current leading try-scorer (seven) in this season’s Super Rugby tournament has to wait until the end of October for the IRB to grant permission for Speight to wear the gold jersey – ruling him out of the Lions’ tour Down Under by just four months.

Speight scores a brace for ACT

Speight goes in for one of his tries. Photo: Planet Rugby

Brumbies winger Henry Speight scored two tries to help his side regain the lead in the Super Rugby overall standings on Saturday with a convincing 41-7 victory over the Western Force at Canberra Stadium.

Fijian outside centre Tevita Kuridrani also touched down in the first-half in a totally one-sided clash.

Jake White’s troops underlined their title credentials as the Brumbies outscored their hapless visitors six tries to one.

Reds sneak past the Blues

Cooper in action against Auckland last night. Photo: Planet Rugby.

The Reds moved provisionally top of the Super Rugby standings after a late penalty from Quade Cooper saw them edge past the Blues 12-11 on Friday.

It looked like being the New Zealand conference pace-setter’s day when the second-half remained scoreless at 9-11 in favour of the hungry Blues.

However, an offence at a Reds driving maul in the 75th minute led to Wallaby fly-half outcast Cooper stepping up to seal four vital points in Brisbane.

The result leaves the Reds two points clear of the Brumbies, who play the Force on Saturday while the Blues are two above the Chiefs, who tackle the Sharks so both could drop down the ladder.

Habana presented with Try of the Year award

Brian Habana . . . awarded for the IRPA Try of the Year Award 2012. Photo: IRB

South Africa wing Bryan Habana was presented with the International Rugby Players’ Association (IRPA) Try of the Year 2012 Award taking over from Fijian Radike Samo who won the 2011 award.

Haban was presented the award at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday as his Super Rugby side the Stormers stormed to victory over the Sharks.

The wing became the second South African to win the Award, after fellow Springbok Jaque Fourie was afforded the honour in 2009 for his try in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions.

Beale not doing himself any favours

Beale . . . Losing his options quickly. Photo: Planet Rugby

This week’s Loose Pass from Planet Rugby . . .  we will mostly be concerning ourselves with enfants terribles, the Kings fiasco and the Lions (not the ones the Kings elbowed out of Super Rugby though)…Off home goes Kurtley Beale, a day or so after he apparently, distinctly the worse for a few tinnies, lamped one of his team-mates while cavorting shirtless on the team bus.

It should not go unnoticed that this all happened the same weekend that Zac Guildford – himself no stranger to a bout of drunken shirtless violence – made his return to the Crusaders team, looking in fine form.

Stormers played quality rugby: White

Brumbie George Smith is still playing top class rugby. Photo: Planet Rugby

Brumbies coach Jake White was gracious in defeat after Saturday’s loss to the Stormers, heaping praise on the home side.

The former Springbok coach has whipped the Brumbies into a formidable outfit but the Stormers ran out 35-22 bonus-point winners at Newlands.

The Stormers fielded a fair number of Springboks in their three-quarter line as well as their pack, and the Brumbies battled to contain them.

Rebels investigate dust-up in Durban

No more friendly; Kurtley Beale standing with Cooper Vuna. Photo: Planet Rugby

The Melbourne Rebels have confirmed they are investigating an incident between two of their players following Saturday’s loss to the Sharks in Durban.

Cooper Vuna and Kurtley Beale are alleged to have come to blows in the wake of the crushing 64-7 loss on their first game in South Africa.

Vuna claimed on his Twitter account Beale had punched him with a “cheap shot” while intervening in a dispute, which occurred after the team had arrived back at their hotel.

The series of tweets from Vuna were later taken down.

Rebels send Beale and Vuna home

 

Australian backline player Kurtley Beale was sent home from South Africa. Photo: Planet Rugby

As a result of an internal investigation into the incident that took place on the Melbourne Rebels team bus in Durban on Saturday, Rebels players Kurtley Beale and Cooper Vuna have been stood down from the South African tour and will return to Australia immediately.

This disciplinary decision has been taken following an internal investigation conducted on Sunday.

Vuna and Beale are believed to have come to blows in the wake of the crushing 64-7 loss to the Sharks on their first game in South Africa.