KURTLEY BEALE almost sounds like a seasoned player as he talks about "youngster" Rob Horne making a starting debut for the Waratahs in Saturday night's derby against the Force in Perth.

That is until the 19-year-old checked himself when asked if he was now one of the veterans of the NSW "baby back line".

"Aah no, not really. I'm still learning," said Beale, who is in his second year of Super 14.

Still, there was tone to Beale's voice of someone who has been there and done that when discussing 18-year-old Horne replacing the injured Ben Jacobs in the No.13 slot.

"A couple of good players are stepping up. Robbie Horne [is] a youngster," Beale said with a boyish smile. "I actually played with him at [Australian] schoolboys a couple of years ago."

Beale can relate to the thrills and pressure this year's class of rookies are facing.

"The young guys coming through, they are looking forward to the challenges," he said. "It is always a good one when you get called up from academies and stuff like that c This is what you dream of when you are a youngster."

Beale, who faces his own herculean challenge in taking on Force playmaker Matt Giteau on Saturday, has always backed himself, despite his youth. So it should be of little surprise to hear him back Horne, who replaced Jacobs at the 56th-minute mark last Saturday against the Blues.

"The thing that surprised me last weekend [is that] he can also hit in defence," Beale said.

Horne, who will oppose the form Australian No.13, rugby league convert and former Rooster Ryan Cross, can expect to have his defence tested heavily again on Saturday night, but Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie is undaunted.

"He enjoys the defence part of the game as [much as] the attack part of the game," McKenzie said. "He is the fastest guy in our team, one of the fastest in Australian rugby. The fact he has an appetite for both is good."

With NSW's 37-16 win against the Blues moving NSW up to sixth on the ladder, one place behind the Force, the mood at training yesterday was upbeat.

"That is the best thing [about] playing Super 14. You play the best of the best in the world," Beale said. "I was fortunate to play [Crusaders No.10] Dan Carter two weeks ago. Now I am up against Matt Giteau."

But Beale is unfazed by the prospect of facing the player who is favoured to be new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans's first choice for the Test No.10 position.

"I am not going to change my game or anything," Beale said. "He is a very important player in their side. He steers their attack very well. That is what I want to try to do for the Waratahs."

Nor does Beale see the game as a trial for the Wallabies five-eighth position.

"Obviously [we will] try to outplay the other bloke but we are not really focused on the Tests," he said. "We want to get over each team, get in there, get stuck in and hopefully come out with a win. They had a good start to the season, playing some big teams, and they came off with some big wins. It is going to be a big one for us and we are up for it."

* Sharks player Epi Taione has been suspended for the rest of the regular Super 14 season for head-butting during Saturday's draw with the Hurricanes in Wellington, NZPA reports.

Sanzar judicial officer Nicholas Davidson, QC, banned the Tongan international for six weeks, deeming his action "grossly reckless", following a hearing in Christchurch.

Taione had been shown the red card by Australian referee Paul Marks for using his head to strike Hurricanes second-rower Jeremy Thrush during a maul.

* The Wallabies will open the European leg of their end of season tour in Padova, Italy on November 8 at the Stadio Euganeo (capacity 32,300), one week after the final Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand, in Hong Kong.

WARATAHS: B Robinson, T Polota-Nau, M Dunning, W Caldwell, D Vickerman, D Mumm, P Waugh (c), W Palu, L Burgess, K Beale, L Tuqiri, T Carter, R Horne, L Turner, S Norton-Knight. Reserves: A Freier, A Baxter, D Lyons, B Robinson, B Sheehan, M Carraro, A Mafi.