Wallaby full back Kurtley Beale says his injury nightmare is 100 per cent behind him, although he admits he still has someway to go before he rediscovers his best form.
The 23-year-old's form in 2010 and 2011 suggested he will pose one of the biggest threats to the Lions' hopes of series glory in 2013 but hamstring troubles blighted his recent World Cup campaign.
He then struggled with a calf problem following his much-talked about move from the Waratahs to the Rebels and was forced to miss the first four games of the current Super 15 campaign.
But Beale is now preparing for his fourth straight start as his new franchise travel to the Waratahs this Saturday and he insists he’s fully focused on toppling his old team rather than worrying about any more setbacks.
''I am 100 per cent,'' said Beale.
''Obviously having soft-tissue injuries they can hold you back a little bit and get you down in confidence, but I'm back 100 per cent.
''I've still got a bit of work to do on conditioning the body but that will come.
''I'm very, very excited to be going back to Sydney. They're a great side the Waratahs. They've got a very big forward pack and some dangerous backs out wide.
''They've got a Wallaby front row and then having Cliffy [Wycliff] Palu at the back, it's going to help them a lot in trying to gain momentum, so it's important for us to chop legs and really get under them and stop their force.
''I just want to treat it as a normal game. I don't want to treat it as a different game because I'll lose focus.''
The Rebels head to the Allianz Stadium on the back of a 37-6 thumping by the Brumbies last time out, while the Waratahs survived a late comeback to beat the Force 23-18 in Perth.
Beale’s new side have won just twice this term (against the Force and the Blues) but his previous outfit are just one victory better off having also beaten the Sharks and won the reverse fixture with the Rebels 35-19 in Melbourne in early March.
Former Australia skipper Rocky Elsom will make his long-awaited return from injury in the fixture after he was named on the replacements’ bench for his first appearance since the World Cup.
