When Kurtley Beale was sitting in a Sydney courtroom and was under pressure from cross-examination during his trial over charges of sexual assault, he could only turn to the support of loved ones to emotionally get through the case.

This was not a rugby union field where Beale could mark the ball, sidestep his way around charging opponents and accelerate to the try line to get out of trouble.

The exile from the game the Darug and Kamilaroi man dedicated himself to, before leaving it behind in 2020 ahead of a playing stint in French club rugby, was a long way from his mind, let alone his body.

But in his darkest days, Beale found solace that the not guilty verdict could possibly provide a loophole to a return into the Test rugby arena.

"When you're sitting out of the sidelines for a long stint, you certainly do learn to appreciate what you have and how special the Wallabies jersey is," Beale said at the press conference for the Wallabies Test camp in Brisbane.

"Representing your country in front of your family and friends at the top level is the ultimate.

"It's the pinnacle of our game and it's an absolute honour.

"While you can still do it and you feel like you can, that's always the motivation to just prove yourself against the best in your country but also internationally.

"It's very special to be able to represent your country and I am really excited to be back in the mix again."

But not after Beale had to start from scratch that included hiring a sprint coach to get back up to speed.

The polarising but marketable figure through a professional career that began in 2008 was now going for broke, not sure whether the painstaking effort was worth the punt and how the accusations would stick in selection.

"I will always back myself, although you think at the time, it's still a long shot," Beale said.

"There was a lot of self-belief and a lot of training on my own.

"It just allowed me to kind of put myself in the best spot, physically, mentally, and having the right people around me as well really helped."

That unconventional journey came after returning to club rugby, including representing not just Randwick in the one-off Australian club championship clash in Brisbane, but also amid the passing of his younger brother, William, just three days earlier.

The next step was finding a Super Rugby Pacific franchise willing to take a chance on Beale.

Western Force appeared to be the only side capable of having a spare spot on its roster.

"If the fire wasn't in the belly, I don't think I would be sitting here," Beale said.

"If I didn't think I could add anything, it would be a different story.

"Having time away and having that experience under my belt allows me to come back and put my best foot forward for the group.

"I had to prove that at Super Rugby level at the Force this year and I really enjoyed my time over there working with those guys and hopefully I can do those things here at this level."

Beale was heading down the park on the Friday morning last week with one of his children when the dad-of-two got the Test recall.

He shed a tear momentarily to the point that his mixed joy also confused his son.

"It's always an anxious wait to see if you're selected or not, being around for this long," Beale said.

"Once the message came through, it was good.

"There's a lot of excitement, not only for myself, but for my family.

"Shining a little light on that – they have been a huge support through the past 18 months, and I am and will forever be grateful for their support in helping me back to the top."

Despite the cloud that hung over his life in the short-term for an uncertain future, Beale waltzed into camp like without a trouble in the world.

"I'm grinning from ear to ear, there's a real buzz around it and you just can't not (be happy)," he said.

Beale has been the most pensive than any of his past years that his Wallabies coaches have ticked off his attendance.

For the one time in a very storied career, Beale is the Elder of the group, preaching to Indigenous brothers like Dylan Pietsch that he befriended in his last stint at the Waratahs, but also to talented playmakers dotted throughout the 38-man training squad.

Beale is prepared to readjust his role, not only for a starting run from fullback, five-eighth or inside centre, but what value he has to Wallabies teammates, new or old.

"I think individually I'll be pushing myself to be ready for any position or whatever opportunity comes," Beale said.

"But then just having that soundboard for a lot of the young playmakers in the group, or just anyone in the group.

"Being that older guy in the group and kind of sharing experiences, which is really important in driving the team in the right direction, helping the coaching staff with their direction there and kind of holding everyone up to keeping the standards on the field very high and pushing everyone to get better, is important."

That kind of role came after he spent many late nights on the couch, watching the Wallabies dismally fail to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in its World Cup history, all under a coach that has never directly mentored Beale in his entire career of more than 15 years.

Beale could tell that a lack of leadership was hurting a side without the key pillars of recent Wallabies sides after Eddie Jones left out former skipper Michael Hooper while bringing in a number of injured players still with the hope of fully recovering at points in the World Cup draw.

"It was heartbreaking stuff," Beale said.

"I think that's also a big thing for me to be able to come back and help the game go forward, really push forward because there is so much potential here in this group.

"I thought in Super Rugby this year there was some glimpses of some really exciting rugby and it shows what we can do, individually but also as a team."

While the Wallabies' prodigal son is only looking to the next two Tests against Wales before facing Georgia, and then the Rugby Championship in a new format of home Tests against South Africa, shared games with All Blacks and away fixtures in Argentina to save on travel, Beale "absolutely" said the motivation was to reach 100 Tests.

The 35-year-old currently sits on 95 appearances for Australia and is set to also be the first Indigenous player to reach the milestone.

Just 13 Australians, in total, have reached the 100-Test mark.

Torres Strait Islander Wendall Sailor has played 37 Tests, the next most appearances for an Indigenous player.

"It's a huge milestone within the game," Beale said.

"You almost dedicate the game, coming straight from school, always being a part of my life like forever now.

"These are little things that are huge motivators for me.

"It allows me to have that real purpose.

"It allows me to get up and go to training every day with a real strong purpose and intent to be able to go out there and go for it.

"I'm really enjoying this challenge as well because it was not going to be given to me.

"I understand that, but I still think it's the exciting bit to be able to test yourself against some of the best up-and-coming players in the country."

Australia's most capped prop, James Slipper, added that he was full of pride on hearing that Beale was returning to the Wallabies camp and thoroughly deserves to finish gloriously.

Slipper, who has alone earned 134 Tests, has a voice in the Australian Test set-up that has grown to be revered.

But the 35-year-old, who is just five appearances from equalling George Gregan's Wallabies' all-time record while nearly five months younger than Beale, said having the gutsy teammate originally from Mt Druitt in the locker rooms would be invaluable to the proposition of a young lineup.

"The first thing is just his voice when you walk into the room," Slipper said in a Beale tribute.

"KB's voice is probably going to be the first you listen to.

"I wouldn't say he's the loudest, but he talks with a lot of ownership of what he's on about.

"Any young player looking up and seeing Kurtley in the room, they're going to listen to him."