Kurtley Beale has been ruled out with a hamstring injury © Getty Images

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Matches: New Zealand 20 - 6 Australia

Players/Officials: Kurtley Beale

Tournaments/Tours: Rugby World Cup

Teams: Australia | New Zealand

Australia fullback Kurtley Beale has been ruled out of Sunday night's Rugby World Cup semi-final against the All Blacks with a hamstring injury.

The Wallabies fullback has been receiving intensive treatment on a hamstring injury since Australia's 11-9 quarter-final victory over South Africa last weekend. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans named Beale in the provisional starting line-up on Thursday but insisted the fullback would have to be 100 percent fit to take on the All Blacks.

And Beale on Saturday revealed he would miss the clash at Eden Park when he tweeted: "Thanks everyone for their support. Unfortunately been ruled out (sic). I've got faith in the boys who have got the opportunity."

The fullback later elaborated on his attempt to be fit in time for the semi-final, saying: "We've tried, and the medical staff have done a great job, but it's best for the team that I miss this one. I'm not far away and will hopefully be ready to go next week.

"I'm backing the boys to do the job in my absence. Everyone's really excited and looking forward to the game. It's going to be tough watching it from the sidelines, I can't deny that, but it's about the team, not me."

Deans, meanwhile, explained the Wallabies had trained with an expectation that Beale would play no part in the contest. "It's disappointing but is an outcome we'd catered for through our preparation this week," Deans said. "We always anticipated it would be unlikely that Kurtley would be ready, but we wanted to give him every opportunity to make it. Unfortunately time has run out. It was important for the clarity of the preparation, both for the team and for Kurtley, that we made the decision today."

Meanwhile scrum-half Will Genia says his side will be spurred on by Beale's injury. "It makes everyone else have to step up as a group and as a team," Genia said. "As a group we'll have to work out how to cover the loss because he's such a good player."

Adam Ashley-Cooper will move to fullback while Anthony Faingaa will start at outside centre and Rob Horne will step up to the replaements bench.

Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper; James O'Connor, Anthony Faingaa, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane; Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander; Dan Vickerman, James Horwill; Rocky Elsom, David Pocock, Radike Samo

Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Rob Horne