Springboks coach in awe of Wallaby Beale

Wallabies centre Kurtley Beale looms as a key player in Saturday night's clash with the Springboks in Perth.

Kurtley Beale

Springboks coach Allister Coetzee says Wallabies back Kurtley Beale is one of the world's best. (AAP)

South Africa coach Allister Coetzee has lavished praise on Kurtley Beale, but says his team can't afford to focus on the star Wallaby in Saturday night's rugby Test in Perth.

The Wallabies were humbled by NZ 54-34 in their Bledisloe Cup opener, before bouncing back to form with a heartbreaking 35-29 defeat to their Trans-Tasman rivals in Dunedin.

Coetzee was particularly impressed by the performances of Beale, who was making his return to the Test scene after recovering from a serious hamstring injury.

"Kurtley Beale is an exceptional player," Coetzee said.

"He's one of those world-class players and he will always have a massive impact in any game because he's a skilful player.

"I think he reads space very well. He's got all the skill sets to distribute, to be able to kick.

"And he's a good reader on the game. He's a massive influence on the Wallabies' attack at this point in time."

But when asked if he needed to target Beale on Saturday night, Coetzee was emphatic in his answer.

"No, the Aussies are coming, so we have to make sure we don't just focus on individual players," Coetzee said.

"Despite the Super Rugby performance, this is a good Australian side.

"Take 50 players from Australia and put them together, you will still have a world-class team out there.

"Israel Folau is in unbelievable form as well. Will Genia seems to be hitting his straps as well now."

The Springboks are riding a wave of confidence following five successive Test wins.

It's in stark contrast to last year when they won just four of 12 Tests in a disastrous campaign.


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Source: AAP



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