Australian Rugby
Beale cleared of assault charges
Scrum.com
June 7, 2010
Australia fullback Kurtley Beale is tackled, Australia v Fiji, Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia, June 5, 2010
Kurtley Beale scored twice against Fiji © Getty Images
Enlarge

Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale has been cleared of assault and is free to play on as Australia prepare to face England in a two-Test series.

Beale bagged a double in the Wallabies' comfortable victory over Fiji in Canberra on Saturday, a game which he started due to the court date hanging over his head. Beale was accused of placing his cousin in a headlock and punching her in July 2009, but he was cleared after no evidence was found.

"I always said that I was not guilty from the start, like I said, just very relieved and very happy that I can concentrate on my football," he told AAP.

Beale starts on the bench as the Australian Barbarians take on England in Perth on Tuesday and is in the frame to wear No.15 in the first Test against Martin Johnson's tourists on June 12.

"He's been pretty good. He's a very positive sort of bloke," Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said. "But it's also a bit of a cloud over you, he's a young man. It's not the sort of thing you want hanging over you.

"It's taken a long time to be processed. So I've got no doubt he'll be a lot more buoyant now and a lot wiser for the experience. And hopefully he'll never find himself in that circumstance again and never put himself in a position of potential compromise again."

© Scrum.com

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.