Rebels fly-half Kurtley Beale set to undergo surgery after fracturing his hand
Last Updated: March 4, 2013 5:32am
Australia international Kurtley Beale is facing a month on the sidelines after fracturing a bone in his left hand.
Beale, who can slot in at full-back or fly-half, suffered the injury in the Rebels' 31-26 defeat to the Waratahs.
He is now set to undergo surgery to correct the damage to the third metacarpal.
Beale will definitely miss Friday's head-to-head with Wallabies team-mate and Reds playmaker Quade Cooper, while is likely to sit out the tour of South Africa for the games against the Sharks (March 24) and Cheetahs (March 31).
That means James O'Connor, who has been playing at full-back so far this season, or the untested Angus Roberts will wear the No 10 jersey.
James Woodward would have been another option for coach Damian Hill however the former New Zealand Under-20s international is currently sidelined with a hand injury of his own.
Kurtley Beale
