News

Beale's boot backed by McKenzie

May 27 2008

Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie will persevere with Kurtley Beale as goal-kicker despite growing concern among fans that the teenager's unreliable right boot could cost the team a maiden Super 14 title.

Beale will enter Saturday's Final against the Crusaders having landed just five of his last 14 attempts, including an alarming two from seven in last weekend's 28-13 triumph over the Sharks at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The 19-year-old's success rate has fallen below 60 per cent for the season - the worst of the recognised kickers in the tournament - but McKenzie refuses to hit the panic button.

"We're sticking with Kurtley. I'm not going to get bogged down in the goal-kicking," McKenzie told AAP.

"There are less shots at goal in the game (with the ELVs) and, obviously when you kick at goal, all those points are important, but he's been doing the job for us all year.

"I'm not going to start judging him on one game or two games or whatever. He's done the job for us and no-one's said boo.

"Dan Carter missed seven out of eight or whatever against the Force and no-one was calling for his head.

"I mean, Kurtley's just building experience. He's going to learn more out of last night as a goalkicker than he would if he kicked six out of six.

"He'll turn it around. He's hitting the post, shaving the post. We'll keep going.

"Who knows, he might kick every goal next week and we might look pretty smart."

McKenzie acknowledged goal-kickers could often lose confidence in the same way as a golfer suffering from the dreaded putting yips, but he didn't believe he needed to call in the shrinks for Beale just yet.

"That's part of the life of a goal-kicker. You have your ups and downs. It's a question of what you do about it," he said.

"The trick at the moment is to not suddenly get 48 experts. I mean, six people have already sent me texts with ideas.

"Now there's stuff we can use, but everyone's got a solution. I can't go and fill his head with ten solutions because they're all slightly different.

"So we'll manage it. We've got a process. It's no different to other parts of the game. It's obviously more obvious.

"But every other part of the game we'll work on and try and make it better, and we'll work on goalkicking.

"He's put a lot a personal time into that. He's not just some fly-by-nighter. He's actually dedicated himself to the task of being the team goal-kicker and we're going to support him in that.

"Let's not start changing the starting team. The starting team's doing the job for us from a football point of view and Kurtley Beale is easily the best option for us at goal-kicker.

"So that's where it starts and finishes."