Bernard Foley

Foley in 2014
Birth name	Bernard Foley
Date of birth	(1989-09-08)8 September 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Sydney, Australia
Height	177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	89 kg (14 st 0 lb; 196 lb)
School	St Aloysius' College, Sydney Redfield College, Sydney
University	University of Sydney
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half/Inside Centre/Fullback Current team Kubota Spears Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2012 Sydney University 5 (61) Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2014 Sydney Stars 0 (0) 2015–2016 Ricoh Black Rams 9 (54) 2016 NSW Country Eagles 0 (0) 2020– Kubota Spears 20 (208) Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 2011–2019 New South Wales Waratahs 119 (1,092) Correct as of 10 May 2022 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2013– Australia 76 (673) Correct as of 27 April 2023 National sevens team Years Team Comps 2010–2011 Australia sevens 1
Medal record Men'srugby sevens Representing Australia Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Team competition

Bernard Foley (born 8 September 1989) is anAustralianrugby player of Irish descent. He plays professionally for theAustralia national rugby team and theNew South Wales Waratahs inSuper Rugby. He can cover bothfullback andfly-half as well asinside centre. Foley has earned the nickname "the iceman" after successful game winningpenalty goals,2 August 2014,^[1]18 October 2015.^[2]

Foley has had a vast amount of experience in rugby and played at a variety of differing teams and competitions both domestically and internationally. In his early years Foley played rugby sevens for Australia and competed at the2010 Commonwealth Games where he received asilver medal in thefinal of therugby sevens tournament for his services for the team that took place inDelhi,India. Foley has played for the amateur club teamSydney University since 2012, who compete annually in the state-based competition theShute Shield. During the 2015–16 Japanese Top League season, after his successful season with the Waratahs just a season beforehand, Foley played forTokyo-based clubRicoh Black Rams. And recently is playing club rugby in theNational Rugby Championship for theNew South Wales Country Eagles. He has played for the AustralianSuper Rugby franchise theNew South Wales Waratahs since 2011 and Australia since 2013.

Foley began his career insevens in 2009. He was a silver medallist with theAustralian sevens team at the2010 Commonwealth Games, and went on to captain the team on the2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series circuit. He was awarded the Sydney University Male Blue of the Year in 2011.^[3] He was also named the 2011 Australian Sevens Player of the Year.^[4]

Foley was the first choice fly-half during the 2014 Waratahs season, having cemented his position in the2012–13 seasons, and only having to compete with two new players, 19-year-oldDave Horwitz, 23-year-oldBen Volavola and edging out former number one fly-half,Kurtley Beale.^[5]

Foley opened his 2014 campaign off inround 2 –round 1 was played by the South African conference – by kicking five conversions and one penalty for a combined score of thirteen points. Helping the Waratahs to a smooth six-try bonus point victory (43–21) over thePerth-basedWestern Force atAllianz Stadium, Sydney.^[6]

On the following Saturday, 1 March 2014, Foley played at home against conference rivals, theQueensland Reds. Kicking three conversions and two penalties (12 points), with the Waratahs having won two from two Australian Conference games both at home.^[7] Between rounds5 and11 Foley scored one try, ten conversions, and sixteen penalty goals (73 points) against theBrumbies,Rebels,Sharks,Stormers,Force,Bulls and theBlues. After eleven rounds the Waratahs were 5–4, with Bernard Foley scoring a total of 98 points.

Following the balanced win loss ratio the Waratahs had before12, the Waratahs finished the remaining seven games of the regular season unbeaten, with Foley scoring 110 points. On 26 July 2014, the Waratahs played the Brumbies at Allianz Stadium, Sydney, in theSemi-final. Foley kicked one conversion and three penalty goals (11 points), and the Waratahs ran out 26 to 8 winners to host their first everSuper Rugby final.^[8] On 2 August 2014, the Waratahs playedNew Zealand team theCrusaders. In the seventy-ninth minute of the2014 Super Rugby Final, Foley kicked a 45-metrepenalty goal to win the game33–32 in front of 61,823.^[9][10][11] Bernard Foley scored a total of 252 points in the2014 Super Rugby season.

2015 was an unsuccessful season compared with 2014. However, Foley managed five tries in 2015 one short of his successive six the season prior. Foley scored a total of 187 points with the Waratahs winning the Australian conference before going down to theHighlanders in theSemi-finals.

In July 2015, Foley signed a three-year flexible contract with theAustralian Rugby Union, becoming the first player to sign such a deal.^[12][13] The contract enabled him to play two seasons of rugby inJapansTop League, whilst remaining eligible to representAustralia.^[14]

The2016 season was another unsuccessful season for both Foley and the Waratahs. Foley only registered 1 try, 15 penalty goals and 35 conversions (120 points). The Waratahs finished 2nd in the Australian conference, 6th in the Australasian conference and 10th overall.

2017 was one of the most unsuccessful seasons in AustralianSuper Rugby history, which also took a toll on both Foley's success on the field and the New South Wales Waratahs. Foley managed to score 3 tries, 12 penalty goals and 31 conversions (113 points) in 2017. The Waratahs finished second last (4th) in the Australian conference, 9th in the Australasian conference, and 16th overall with only theJapanese team theSunwolves and theRebels finishing with less points.

Foley had an exciting 2018 season following two very disappointing years in 2016 and 2017. Foley played a fundamental role for the Waratahs in 2018, similar to his role in the Waratahs' 2014 campaign.

Foley started off the 2018 campaign on 24 February 2018 againstSouth African team theStormers. Foley kicked three conversions and two penalty goals for a total score of fourteen points in a 34–17 victory at home.^[15] Inround 3 of the2018 Super Rugby season, Foley kicked one penalty goal and three conversions, including a seventy-ninth-minute penalty goal to level the score, in a 24–24 draw with theSharks ofDurban atKings Park Stadium. Foley had successfully converted ten kicks in a row following this match.^[16] The next match Foley converted four of four kicks, including two in the eightieth-minute, in an away match inBuenos Aires. Losing to theJaguares by ten points.^[17]

The Waratahs' first game against an Australian conference team was inround 5 at home against theRebels. Foley scored twenty-one points from his boot, kicking six conversions and three penalty goals for a twenty-four point victory.^[18] Foley played inround 7 against Waratahs' rivals, theBrumbies on 31 March. Kicking four penalty goals and one conversion to beat the Brumbies by a converted try, 17–24.^[19] Thefollowing round Foley scored fifteen points after he kicked one penalty goal and six conversions against theSunwolves inTokyo.^[20] The Waratahs played Australian conference rivals theQueensland Reds at theSydney Cricket Ground inround 9. Defeating them 37–16, with Foley scoring more points individually than the opposing team.^[21]

In rounds10,12 and13 Foley scored only fifteen points. Foley kicked six conversions and one penalty goal between those rounds.^[22][23][24] Inround 14 Foley converted four of the six tries scored against theHighlanders and kicked one penalty goal to score eleven points in a 41–12 victory over the New Zealand side at home.^[25] Leading towards theSuper Rugby finals, the Waratahs won three and lost two with Foley scoring fifty seven points. Kicking twenty-four conversions, five penalty goals and scoring one try in the process.^{[26][27][28][29][30]} In theSuper Rugby Qualifying final, Foley played an important role in the Waratahs' hopes of winning. Foley kicked two penalty goals before the tenth minute before theHighlanders scored two converted tries and also had three penalty goals to add. Losing 6–23 at half-time, Foley went on to score two tries, which he converted, before the end of the game. Foley scored a season game high of twenty-five points. The Waratahs won 30–23 at home.^[31][32][33] Following the superb performance at home the week before, Foley only had six points to his name in theSemi-final against theLions. The Waratahs lost 44–26 to finish the2018 season.^[34][35] Foley finished the season confidently as he finished top scorer in the competition with 223 points.

Foley started the2019 season inround 1 against theHurricanes atBrookvale Oval, Sydney. Foley scored a conversion kick in the 44th minute, after a try from Waratahs centreCurtis Rona, and four penalty goals in the 3rd, 12th, 16th and 40th minute. However, Foley missed a penalty goal late in the game. The Waratahs lost 19–20.^[36]Round 2, the Waratahs played against theSunwolves in Tokyo. Foley kicked two conversions, missing two in a windy match. The Waratahs won by one point (30–31).^[37] After around 3 bye, Foley played against rivals theQueensland Reds at theSydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. Foley kicked three penalty goals and converted two out of three tries scored in an eleven-point victory.^[38]

It was confirmed by the Waratahs that Foley would be leaving the club to stay in Japan postWorld Cup to play club rugby with theKubota Spears.^[39] This was Foley's second spell in Japan, previously playing for theRicoh Black Rams in 2015/16.

In July 2013,Michael Cheika, the former New South Wales Waratahs coach, announced that he would send a 34-manNew South Wales Barbarians squad toArgentina to take on the Pumas in a two-match series, with Foley being named in the squad. On 3 August 2013, theBarbarians lost 29–27 inLa Plata,Buenos Aires toArgentina. Foley kicked one penalty goal in the seventy-seventh minute.^[40]

Foley made his debut on 5 October 2013 againstArgentina in thefinal match of the2013Rugby Championship. Foley come off the bench in the 65th minute replacingQuade Cooper. He played less than fifteen minutes before scoring his first international try in a seven-try victory inRosario, Argentina under head coachEwen McKenzie.^[41]

Foley's first start as a fly-half for Australia was on 7 June 2014 againstFrance during theFrance tour of Australia atSuncorp Stadium,Brisbane.^[42][43] Foley started all three games at fly-half and scored a total of thirty-two points (ten conversions, four penalty goals).^[44][45]

The 2015 Rugby World Cup was a very successful showing for Foley. He showed his creativity as well as his awareness and vision on the field. His link up play as a number ten with the other players around him showed just how important he was to the Wallabies and his ability to stay calm during the big moments throughout 2015.^{[citation needed]}

This was Foley's firstRugby World Cup campaign with Australia. Foley made his debut in the Rugby World Cup againstFiji on 23 September in Cardiff. He kicked two of the three tries scored and three penalty goals. Australia beat Fiji 28–13.^[46][47] Foley's second game in his first Rugby World Cup campaign came againstEngland and was one of his best performances on the international stage. Foley scored twenty-eight points alone (two tries, three conversions, and four penalty goals) compared with England's thirteen. Australia ran out 13–33 winners at Twickenham, knocking England out of the World Cup and sending themselves and Wales through to thequarterfinals.^[48][49] On 10 October, he was once again instrumental in Australia's progression, scoring all 15 points againstWales, in a 15–6 victory and progressed to the quarterfinals having wonPool A.^[50][51] Foley's role againstScotland in the quarterfinals was critical, however, Foley's conversion rate was far from critical, having missed three of five conversions. Foley managed to kick over an eighty-minute penalty goal to win the game for Australia in the wet conditions and send them through to thesemifinals.^[52][53]

Towards the latter end of the tournament, specifically in theknockout stage, Foley's influence on the team was less and less meaningful. Foley's most influential and impactful duty is scoring, and Foley was scoring less than earlier in the tournament. On 25 October, againstArgentina, Foley scored the second-lowest number of points he had scored all tournament with nine. However, Australia kept Argentina try-less throughout the game and won 15–29 to reach thefinal.^[54][55]

In the Final of the Rugby World Cup, Foley scored seven points, the lowest total of points in one game for the fly-half during the 2015 campaign. Despite only kicking two conversions and one penalty goal against the number one ranked team in the world, Foley finished equal third top point scorer with man of the match,Dan Carter. Foley finished the tournament with 82 points. Australia were defeated in the final 34–17.^[56][57]

In the lead up to theRugby World Cup in September, Foley played a total of 160 minutes of rugby for the Wallabies: eighty minutes againstSouth Africa,^[58] eighty minutes againstSamoa.^[59] Although playing impressive rugby against South Africa, Foley did not play again in the2019 Rugby Championship,Christian Lealiifano being the preferredfly-half.

In August, Foley was announced to be in the 31-man Wallabies squad to play at theWorld Cup.^[60] Foley's first and only match of the Rugby World Cup came againstWales, in what was touted as the pool decider.^[61] Foley was replaced just after half-time (45'), replaced byMatt To'omua. Australia lost by four points (25–29).^[62] Foley and teammates alike, specifically thescrum-half,Will Genia, were heavily criticised after the game for their poor performance, contributing to the loss.^[63] It was Australia's first loss to Wales in a Rugby World Cup since the inaugural World Cup in1987. Foley scored three points at the2019 Rugby World Cup.

As of 8 June 2019^[64]

Australia

Foley was born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1989 to Michael Foley, alawyer.^[65] Foley's father's side of thefamily isIrish,^[65] originating fromCork,Ireland. Foley's brother, Conor, plays as arunning back for theAustralia national American football team.^[66]

• Wallabies Profile
• Kubota Spears profile
• Bernard Foley at ItsRugby.co.uk
• Bernard Foley at ESPNscrum
• Bernard Foley at theWorld Rugby Men's Sevens Series (archived)

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• 1989 births
• Australian rugby union players
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• Australia international rugby sevens players
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• Commonwealth Games medallists in rugby sevens
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