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A superb kick by Western Force captain Kyle Godwin, converted into an 80th minute try by a flying Julian Olowofela, must have felt like a dagger to the heart of the bonus-point-seeking Crusaders. But by the end of the weekend, with the result in Canberra falling their way, surgeons had deemed it to be no […]
3rd Jun 2021 5:39 PM | Updated: 5:57 PM
Reds coach Brad Thorn has made no apologies for dumping Super Rugby AU hero Fraser McReight in response to ongoing defensive deficiencies plaguing the Queenslanders.
Despite the Reds last week becoming the first Australian team to beat New Zealand opposition in the new Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition with a 40-34 win over the Chiefs in Townsville, Thorn remains unhappy with Queensland’s defence.
Flanker McReight is the biggest casualty of Thorn’s determination to stop leaking points.
Man of the match in the Reds’ 19-16 Super Rugby AU grand final win over the Brumbies last month, McReight has failed to even retain his bench spot from last weekend for Friday night’s clash against Auckland’s Blues at Suncorp Stadium.
This shift in tactical thinking also has important ramifications for the Wallabies with national coach Dave Rennie committing to specialist No 7 Michael Hooper to captain the side again this year, bucking the international trend.
With a bigger backrow Queensland were able to win the collisions against the Chiefs and when the Reds win the collisions they more often than not win the game. But that was not the only important change the Reds made.
The Queenslanders are prone to making unforced handling errors and desperately needed to tidy up this area. Unlike their big losses to the Highlanders and the Crusaders in the first two rounds, the Reds âtreasuredâ the ball against the Chiefs, which is necessary to have any hope of beating the counter-attacking New Zealanders.