Not many players get to play The British & Irish Lions on more than one occasion but Kurtley Beale is planning on using that experience to guide his Western Force teammates.
Now 36, Beale will be a familiar face at Optus Stadium on Saturday as he goes up against the Sea of Red 12 years on from playing all three Tests.
He is probably best remembered for a slip while lining up a potentially match-winning penalty in the first Test, his miss allowing the Lions to take it 23-21.
Beale has learnt from that experience, and is also keen to help his younger teammates at the Force to be ready for taking on the Lions.
He said: “That was obviously a real disappointment, an embarrassing moment. From that day onwards I’ve worn studs! It was a crucial moment in the series, wasn’t it? I was just very thankful to have strong teammates around me to pick me back up.
“I still haven’t watched it properly. But you learn from that and put yourself in those positions week in, week out in training to try and correct some wrongs. It’s just an ongoing process and I feel like I’ve done that now.
"As rugby players it’s never-ending. You’re always learning, even at my age. You’re continually working on your craft and goal-kicking for me has always been that.
“It’s just a juggernaut of a game: on the field the level and intensity and the skills required under pressure increases 10-fold.
“I’ve been sharing stories with a lot of the guys in the team here about just how big it’s going to be and just making sure they enjoy it and embrace this week and the opportunity to play against some world-class players. It’s just going to be an amazing series.”
Having played rugby in England and France for Wasps and Racing 92 respectively, Beale has a good insight into the game up north.
And he has singled out Finn Russell, his former Racing teammate who arrives in Australia fresh from helping Bath to the treble, as a danger man for the Lions.
“I played with him at Racing 92 and he’s such a mercurial, unpredictable player,” Beale said.
“With a forward pack like he’ll have in front of him, he can create a lot of damage. I think he’ll be the danger man.”
