Wallabies coach Robbie Deans admits Kurtley Beale's pending court appearance influenced the selectors' decision to hand the talented utility his first test start against Fiji in Canberra on Saturday.
Beale will appear in Mt Druitt Local Court on Monday to answer a common assault charge stemming from an alleged incident at a family gathering last July.
The 21-year-old, who earned his test debut off the bench against Wales last November, was named at fullback in a new-look Wallabies backline on Tuesday.
The Waratahs star was among the form players of the Super 14 in the back half of the season after warming the bench in the early rounds.
But Deans revealed form was not the only reason for his inclusion in the test team, with his pending court appearance making it virtually impossible for Beale to line up for the second-string Australian Barbarians in next Tuesday's clash against England in Perth
"Kurtley's got a court case next Monday... and we were keen to get him underway and that was going to make it difficult in terms of the Tuesday fixture," Deans explained.
"So we made the conscious decision to give him a start which he's earned through his performances."
Beale's surprise selection sees the versatile Adam Ashley-Cooper shift to the wing, while the inclusion of Waratahs young gun Rob Horne at centre sees Digby Ioane move onto the other wing.
A knee injury to halfback Will Genia sees Luke Burgess earn a rare start in the No 9 jumper, while Deans has handed Reds playmaker Quade Cooper first crack at the contentious No 10 jumper, with Matt Giteau shifting to No 12.

PERFECT PREP. FOR WALES

Warren Gatland believes Wales' daunting June test match programme is perfect preparation for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
Wales hosts reigning world champions South Africa in Cardiff on Saturday before heading to New Zealand for appointments with the All Blacks in Dunedin on June 19 and Hamilton seven days later.
"You couldn't get a closer simulation in terms of our preparation for the World Cup," said head coach Gatland.
"Out first game in the World Cup is against South Africa, and in going to New Zealand we are familiarising ourselves with some of the training venues and hotels for next year.
"We are playing three really tough matches, and we consider it to be the real start of the countdown towards the World Cup."
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AFOA NOW NO 2, NOT NO 3

Otago's Alando Soakai has been named to captain the New Zealand Barbarians team to play New Zealand Maori in Whangarei on June 12.
But the main interest will centre on the selection of All Blacks prop John Afoa at hooker.
The move had been telegraphed by the New Zealand selectors who said at the weekend that they wanted Afoa to work on moving to hooker. He will have Auckland teammate Charlie Faumuina and Southland captain Jamie Mackintosh as his props in the historic match with the Maori.
Another Southlander, and a lock on the selectors' radar, is Josh Bekhuis.
Departing Waikato lock Kevin O'Neill will partner Bekhuis while Taranaki and Hurricanes flanker Scott Waldrom will be on the blindside of the scrum.
Auckland No 8 Peter Saili has a chance to impress while at halfback Alby Mathewson will have an opportunity to further push his case to step up the ladder.
Colin Slade has been named at No 10 after spending much of the Super 14 at fullback for the Crusaders. Two Irish players are to be included in the side but have yet to be named.

O'GARA TO SKIPPER IRELAND

Ronan O'Gara will lead Ireland in Friday's match against the UK Barbarians at Thomond Park.
O'Gara reprises his old halfback partnership with Munster colleague Peter Stringer with Leinster No 10 Jonathan Sexton included on the bench.
Only two of the Leinster side that lost Saturday's Magners League grand final to Ospreys start with fullback Rob Kearney and winger Shane Horgan in action.
Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll is among those rested ahead of the tour to New Zealand and Australia, which departs on Saturday.
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NEW BLUE HAD SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

New Cardiff Blues signing Michael Paterson has revealed he had ‘a few sleepless nights' as he mulled over a move to the Amlin Challenge Cup winners.
Paterson was in contention for a place in the All Blacks squad for their June tests against Ireland and Wales, but his hopes of a test career will now be put on hold for at least three years due to the New Zealand Rugby Union's policy of not selecting players based overseas.
The 25-year-old, who played consistently well for the Hurricanes in this season's Super 14, will join the Blues' New Zealand contingent of centre Casey Laulala, fullback Ben Blair and lock Paul Tito, and possibly No 8 Xavier Rush.
And the flanker, who can also play in the second row, felt the chance to test himself in Europe was too good to turn down.
Paterson said: "I am thoroughly looking forward to the opportunity of being over there with the New Zealand lads that are playing in Cardiff
"I have had some pretty sleepless nights over the last couple of weeks but, at the end of the day, I had to put a mark in the sand and I have just run with it.
"I had to go to make my own future certain and now I have got some certainty for the next three years."

RWC STARTS NOW FOR ENGLAND

Team manager Martin Johnson says England will use two Cook Cup tests with the Wallabies as preparation for the 2011 World Cup.
The English have arrived in Perth ahead of next Tuesday's match with the Australian Barbarians at ME Bank Stadium and the Wallabies Saturday week at Subiaco Oval with a squad of 44 players.
That will need to be trimmed to 32 by the end of the tour and Johnson said hunger to perform was strong.
"The build-up starts now in terms of World Cup preparation and it gives some guys genuine opportunity to advance themselves," Johnson said.
"We have a big squad deliberately, we've brought 44 players, and it's the last time we'll be on tour before the World Cup in 2011."
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