Kurtley Beale’s life after rugby remains Robbie Deans’ primary concern as he weighs up whether or not to throw the wayward Wallaby to the Lions.

His suspension for fighting two teammates in South Africa now over, Beale was on Wednesday named on the bench for the Melbourne Rebels’ Super Rugby clash with the Chiefs on Friday night.

Providing he emerges unhurt from his comeback after two months on the sidelines also battling injury, Beale will likely regain his starting spot next week and have another five games to press for selection in Deans’ 31-man squad for the looming Lions series.

But with Beale repeatedly landing in strife due to alcohol-related incidents, Deans said helping the 24-year-old get his life in order remained the priority for the ARU, who have counsellors working with the playmaker.

“The critical thing is Kurtley in life, because he’ll only be a rugby player for a certain amount of time and we want to see him thrive in life, first and foremost,” Deans said on Wednesday.

“That’s far more important than whether he plays a Test match or not.

“That’s where we’re starting. We’re dealing with that and, if he deals with that, he’ll deal with the other easily because what he does in-game he does naturally and instinctively.”

Deans contacted Beale on Tuesday night after he resumed training with the Rebels.

“In life, he’s much better,” the Wallabies coach said.

“The light’s gone on, so to speak for him, as tends to happen so long as you’re open to the learning and I believe he genuinely is on this occasion.

“He’s got good support and we just hope that he can take some strides to ensure that he doesn’t end up in a compromised position again.”

Presuming he stays on the straight and narrow, Beale is considered a certainty to feature in Deans’ plans for the Lions series.

“He’s not at the forefront simply because of his circumstance, but clearly he’s been a big part of this group for some time now and he’s been part of some defining moments as well over time,” Deans said.

“So we know his capability.

“I’ve got no doubt he’ll be in the right shape. He’s worked very hard over the last month – he’s probably been in better shape than he’s been in for a long time. That won’t be an issue.”