Ashley-Cooper brings full back pedigree

Kurtley Beale’s omission from the Wallabies' semi-final team might leave Australia fans with nerves as strained as his left hamstring, but they should take solace in the fact his replacement is a genuine full back.

Adam Ashley-Cooper, who will shift from outside centre to No.15 to cover the loss of Beale, has started 19 of his 61 Tests in the position.

Seven of those were against the All Blacks, with three of them at Eden Park, so Ashley-Cooper will be familiar with the look of the opposition and the arena from the back of the Australia line-up on Sunday.

Scrum half Will Genia said Beale had been absent from training since straining his hamstring in Australia’s quarter-final win against South Africa last Sunday, so Ashley-Cooper has had several sessions to refamiliarise himself with the role.

“He has trained there all week and he will do the job for us,” Genia said.

Ashley-Cooper’s last Test as starting full back was in July 2010 when the Wallabies lost to New Zealand 49-28 in Melbourne.

And while the 27-year-old does not possess the x-factor of Beale, six of his 22 Test tries have come with him wearing the no.15 jersey, suggesting he is no slouch at the back.

Dangerous pace

With the Australian strategy of shifting fly half Quade Cooper to full back in defence, Ashley-Cooper will defend on the wing against the All Blacks and still be available to pitch in with his valuable pace and footwork on the counter-attack.

The man himself was excited about the prospect of playing full back when the idea was put to him earlier in the week.

"I've played my best football where I've actually been changed (positions) that week, so I'll welcome that challenge if it occurs,” Ashley-Cooper said.

“I've always put a lot of pressure on myself and there's always a lot of butterflies, just trying to have faith in the selection and prove the critics wrong."

It should also be considered that Beale’s absence has opened the way for Anthony Faingaa to return to outside centre and re-form the centre combination with Pat McCabe that so effectively stifled the All Blacks in the 2011 Tri Nations decider.

So the Australia camp can find reason for optimism that Beale’s problem hamstring will not cripple their World Cup hopes.

Just do not tell them that in all seven Tests in which Ashley-Cooper has faced the All Blacks at full back, the Wallabies have not won once.