The Kurtley Beale experiment appears to be over with the Wallabies playmaker benched in favour of Waratahs teammate Bernard Foley for Saturday's Rugby Championship clash with South Africa in Perth on Saturday.
The benching of Beale is one of three changes to the starting side. As revealed by Fairfax Media on Monday, his halves partner Nic White will also be used as an impact player as coach Ewen McKenzie looks to the Waratahs duo of Nick Phipps and Foley at halfback and five-eighth respectively.
The other change sees James Hanson promoted to starting hooker after the Wallabies' rake woes continued when Nathan Charles was ruled out for the season with a pectoral injury.
Phipps and Foley were pivotal in the Waratahs' maiden Super Rugby title win last month while Beale, who had played at inside-centre throughout the provincial season, failed to impress in the draw and subsequent record-breaking loss to New Zealand in the Bledisloe Cup last month.
Elsewhere, last week's retirement of Pat McCabe has forced a reshuffle in the backs with Adam Ashley-Cooper moving to the wing and Tevita Kuridrani named at outside-centre. The Wallabies' well-publicised lack of power in the forwards appears to have also struck a chord with McKenzie, who has named a bench with six big men including former skipper James Horwill, Western Force captain Matt Hodgson and Queensland hooker Saia Fainga'a.
Australia currently sit fourth on the Rugby Championship ladder, and McKenzie said his side reflected the physical challenge his troops would face this week. "While the size of the challenge isn't any easier, the South Africans do play a unique brand of rugby which we will need to adjust to," he said.
"We feel the partnership of Nick and Bernard will best suit the style of game we'll be trying to play. It's naturally disappointing for the two guys who missed out … but the reality is we have a lot of good players in those playmaking positions
"We expect them … to make an impact playing an important role in how we close out the match."
WALLABIES: James Slipper, James Hanson, Sekope Kepu, Sam Carter, Rob Simmons, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, Wycliff Palu, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Rob Horne, Matt Toomua, Tevita Kuridrani, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Israel Folau. Reserves: Saia Fainga'a, Pek Cowan, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Nic White, Kurtley Beale
