Wallabies inside centre Kurtley Beale says he would welcome the return of Karmichael Hunt into the Test fold.
Beale and Hunt have been two of the best players in the Wallabies outings this year, playing in the same position, but have never been in the same squad, with Hunt injured before the Rugby Championship and Beale in the UK before that.
Hunt is a chance to return for Brisbane City in the NRC this weekend, and if successful could put him in line for a Test return as early as Argentina, with Wallabies coach Michael Cheika saying he would ‘make the numbers work’ for a XV that could include both the Reds and Waratahs backs.
Speaking on FOX SPORTS' Kick and Chase, Beale didn’t theorise on what that backline might look like, but fully endorsed the idea of Hunt returning to the fold.
“I think leaving it up to the coaches, whatever’s best for the team,” he said.
“Obviously Karmichael’s a special player, he creates opportunities and I think at Test match level we need creativity.
“We can’t be just going up and down up and down all the time. If we have that extra creativity it’s going to create more opportunities for the guys on the outside channels.”
Beale has emerged as a vital piece for the Wallabies on and off the field this season, one of its leaders as well as one of the form players.
The 28-year-old was one of those senior players who addressed the playing group at half-time in Australia’s 45-20 win over Argentina, when a sluggish start had them trailing 13-10.
“We were just going through the motions and I was like ‘Why are we going through the motions, It’s Test match rugby, we’ve got to give these guys respect and turn up from when that whistle’s blown’,” he said.
In a series of viewer questions, Beale was also fairly candid when asked, ’What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?’.
“Make better decisions,” he said.
The Wallabies leave for South Africa on Saturday, ahead of their September 23 Test against the Springboks.
The Wallabies take on South Africa on Sunday September 24, kicking off at 1:05am AEST, LIVE on FOX SPORTS and Network Ten. Kick and Chase airs on FOX SPORTS one 501 every Tuesday night, at 6:30pm and 8:30pm AEST.
