'Huge moment': Wallabies star KO'd in World Cup dead rubber
A scare has been sent through the Wallabies camp, with star Kurtley Beale taken from the field 13 minutes into their dead rubber against Georgia.
The Wallabies would have been hoping to get through Friday night’s match against Georgia unscathed, with a blockbuster quarter final match against England on the horizon and the Georgians already out of the running.
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Instead, Beale had to be helped to his feet after spending several minutes on the ground, looking noticeably groggy as he was taken from the field.
Not looking good for Kurtley Beale... A player has landed right on him 😦
Every Match, Every Nation of the #RWC2019 on Fox Sports 503 pic.twitter.com/eTKQt8epZu— FOX SPORTS Rugby (@FOXRUGBY) October 11, 2019
Kurtley Beale knocked out in the 14th minute.
A Georgian comes flying in at the ruck and makes contact with head. Straight off his feet, slipped on the wet field.
Huge moment.
Particularly if Beale is concussed and is forced to miss the QF against England #AUSvGEO #RWC19— Christy Doran (@ChristypDoran) October 11, 2019
He was replaced by Dane Haylett-Petty.
Beale was knocked out by Georgia’s Davit Kacharava, who looked to slip and fall directly on top of the Wallabies dynamo as he came towards the ruck.
Georgia received a penalty for the play, with the Wallabies going on to score the first try of the match at the 22-minute mark.
Australia opened the scoring through Nic White, with Matt To’ouma finishing the conversion.
A penalty against Australia a short time later allowed Georgia to reduce the margin to four, Soso Matiashvili’s kick good after a Tolu Latu high tackle.
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Sergio Parisse believes World Rugby would not have cancelled Italy’s clash with New Zealand if the All Blacks needed a victory to qualify from Pool B.
The reigning champions were set to go up against Italy in their final group game at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday.
With each side awarded two points, New Zealand will top the table while Italy finish in third, meaning they miss out on a chance to claim an unlikely win and progress to the quarter-finals.
It is a decision Parisse has branded as "ridiculous", insisting the match would have gone ahead had it been vital for their opponents.
"It's difficult to know that we won't have the chance to play a match against one of the great teams," said Parisse in a news conference.
"If New Zealand needed four or five points against us, it would not have been cancelled.
"We had the chance to play in a big stadium against a great team. It's ridiculous that a decision of this nature has been made.
"If Italy and New Zealand decide they don't want to play, then that's fine. But, as I said, if New Zealand needed the points, it wouldn't have been cancelled."