James Horwill says Reds need to avoid sloppy fadeouts against Stormers

SKIPPER James Horwill has told the Reds to dump their party boy reputation at Suncorp Stadium to show they are still ruthless winners.

James Horwill wants the Reds to lift against the Stormers.

SKIPPER James Horwill has told the Reds to dump their party boy reputation at Suncorp Stadium tonight to show they are still ruthless winners.

The hard-marking lock said bluntly yesterday he was sick of 20, 30 and 50-minute displays of good rugby being torpedoed by sloppy fadeouts.

Only the best display of a haphazard season will shut out the dangerous Stormers, the South African team which has pinched most wins (four) in Brisbane since professional rugby’s birth in 1996.

Horwill was not accusing the Reds of late-night partying. He was damning the good part-dud part trend of the Reds’ performances.

“Great rugby for parts of games, that’s all we’ve been capable of,’’ he said.

“It happened against the Sharks and Lions where we did some very good things, but going off the boil lost it for us.

News_Image_File: Beau Robinson is relishing a physical battle against the Stormers.

“That's not good enough when you need a full 80. We want to have a real crack for our home fans so we have to manage the game well enough to have the momentum.’’

Horwill agreed the Reds had been guilty of gifting ball to opponents to apply pressure through back-to-back errors, penalties or simply poor options.

Promoted flanker Beau Robinson is relishing the idea of a bash-fest against the physical Stormers pack, so being direct will not be a problem for him.

The Reds have won more turnovers per game (10) than any other side. It is a great stat but not when the backs have bizarrely kicked away several of those golden pieces of possession almost immediately.

News_Rich_Media: Queensland Reds coach Richard Graham not putting much into reports the Lions have been giving the Stormers tips on beating his side

Playmaking kingpin Quade Cooper must step up with a full game like his two-try first half against the Lions last weekend.

Cooper said shutting down mighty atom Gio Aplon was just as vital as the Reds finding their own try-scoring mojo.

He may be just 80kg in a sweat-soaked jersey but fullback Aplon’s 17 broken tackles this season is more than any other player. Cooper (14) and Israel Folau (13) are among those left in his wake.

“Aplon is one of the best broken field runners in Super Rugby,’’ Reds coach Richard Graham said.

News_Image_File: Gio Aplon is a dangerous player for the Stormers.

“You have to kick well and have your kick-chasers round him up because if you don’t he'll keep putting his forwards on the front foot.’’

The Reds have pulled winger-fullback Jamie-Jerry Taulagi out of club rugby for University today because he is the wider squad’s last fit back.
■ FORMER Wallabies halfback John Cornes, who played his single Test against Fiji in 1972, yesterday lost his long battle with cancer at 66.

Cornes, whose family property is at Augathella, played for Queensland between 1969-72.