Wallabies centre Kurtley Beale says he's packed an extra pair of budgie smugglers for the Wallabies Spring Tour in the event of another royal run-in.
Beale lit up social media on the 2017 Spring Tour after posting a snap of him in indigenous-designed Wallabies budgie smugglers with Prince William, the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
The 29-year-old said he was prepared in case the Duke of Cambridge dropped by after Sunday’s (AEDT) Test against Wales.
“It’d be nice to see Prince William again, I have another pair of budgies for him if he comes in the sheds,” he said.
“We'll see how we go. There is a few options there he can pick.”
Though that Instagram post went global in 2017, it was far from the only highlight Kurtley Beale has from a decade of playing in Cardiff.
In last year’s outing, the mercurial centre pulled off a ridiculous one-on-one steal on his way to scoring a try, the latest in an impressive reel at Millennium Stadium.
Beale also scored the match-winner in a 2012 thriller and turned in a man-of-the-match performance in the team’s clash back in 2010.
Cardiff was also where Beale made his Test debut back in 2009 and he admitted he found some extra enjoyment in facing Wales.
“That first cap is always special and you always remember those times but it is the opposition you are up against,” he said.
“The Welsh always have an exciting brand of rugby to play and I guess it's someone I enjoy playing against.
“It's always a great occasion and the atmosphere is one of the best in the world and as a player that is what you want to strive for and test yourself.
“The Welsh have some dangerous backs and powerful forwards. It's a matter of taking the opportunity.”
“There is a lot of scope there and as an outside back or a playmaker there is a lot of scope there to try and pick them off.’
This weekend’s Test against Wales will be the last meeting between the two sides before they face off in next year’s Rugby World Cup pool stage.
Those stakes alone had former Wales captain Sam Warburton saying last week that beating Australia should be their number one November focus.
Beale said that World Cup clash wasn’t in the forefront of their minds as they looked to stretch a decade-long winning streak against the Welsh.
“For us it's just keep building on the good things we are doing and keep striving for that consistency leading to the World Cup,” he said.
“The potential in this group is there and it's a matter of harnessing that, keep pushing forward and not taking backward steps and making sure we are delivering to the standards we know we can do.”
The Wallabies take on Wales in Cardiff on Saturday November 10, 5:20pm, Sunday 4:20am AEDT, LIVE on beIN SPORT and SBS.
