Queensland Reds lock Izack Rodda revs up fellow forwards for crunch crash with Lions
YOUNG pack pillar Izack Rodda has urged the Reds forwards to find another gear on Saturday or risk being bullied off Suncorp Stadium.
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YOUNG pack pillar Izack Rodda has urged the Reds forwards to find another gear on Saturday or risk being bullied off Suncorp Stadium.
The four-Test Wallaby lock is one of the few Reds to have sustained the rage in his play through all the ups-and-downs of eight matches.
Even at 21, Rodda knows exactly the non-negotiable formula to turn around a streak of four losses when South Africa’s vaunted Lions visit for an appealing 3.05pm kick-off.
Beating the Bulls 20-14 six weeks ago and fighting back for a 25-19 loss to the Stormers in Cape Town has shown the Reds they can compete against South Africa’s best.
“I learned personally, as with every South African team, you’ve got to match them physically or be more physical,” Rodda said.
“If you don’t they’ll just bully you out of the game.
“For whatever reason we didn’t show up in the first 30 (minutes against the Chiefs) last weekend when we were flat, a bit one-paced and had points put on us.
“We definitely need to pave the way as forwards from the start against the Lions and come our firing to create fast ball to work with.”
Rodda won eight lineouts against the Chiefs as the Reds’ chief target to go with the strong ball-carries and workrate he always throws into every game.
He dusted himself off and kept firing after an early kidney-cruncher from Chiefs captain Sam Cane when flattened from behind.
Importantly, Rodda said belief and team morale was still strong within the young Reds squad, which will be without injured Scott Higginbotham and likely James Slipper on Saturday.
“There’s been a good vibe to crack into this week against the Lions and you’ll still see five or 10 blokes going off to lunch together because we are a really tight group,” Rodda said.
The lack of try-power to the Reds-just 15 in eight games-has plenty to do with the team’s spluttering work at the breakdown where quick ball has been so hard to find.
Slow ball has made the attack look humdrum and there isn’t the passing subtlety outside flyhalf Jono Lance to put a deceptive passage of play together without room.
“Like I said, the forwards have to create fast ball because I reckon we’ve definitely got enough (attacking creativity) with good backs like Samu (Kerevi), Chrissy (Feauai-Sautia) and Jono,” Rodda said.
Rodda was wearing his Easts club jersey at Ballymore yesterday when Reds players were training in the colours of their grassroots heritage.
It was the start to “Rugby Family Round” and players will wear the footy socks from their school or club in Saturday’s Super Rugby match a la the tradition of the Barbarians.
Halfback Moses Sorovi, who has worked hard on the consistency of his pass, is a strong chance to earn a start.
A strong forward platform will aid his game because he loves to snipe and the Reds play the sort of game that demands their No.9 make more metres up the middle.
Originally published as Queensland Reds lock Izack Rodda revs up fellow forwards for crunch crash with Lions
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