Brad Thorn supersizes Queensland’s centre pairing, drops 2017 standout Duncan Paia’aua
BRAD Thorn continues to put his own stamp on the Queensland Reds by supersizing his centres with the shock call to drop 2017 standout Duncan Paia’aua.
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BRAD Thorn continues to put his own stamp on the Queensland Reds by supersizing his centres with the shock call to drop 2017 standout Duncan Paia’aua.
The Reds coach has decided to counter size with size against South Africa’s Bulls at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
There is 200kg-plus of running power to deliver momentum for the Reds through Chris Feauai-Sautia and Wallaby Samu Kerevi.
Thorn has moved Feauai-Sautia from the wing to outside centre and moved Kerevi in a spot to No.12 which has bumped Paia’aua to the bench.
Thorn surprised last Friday night when he went with that formation for the final 35 minutes of the win over the ACT Brumbies because it stripped the side of versatility without Paia’aua’s playmaking.
The Reds still delivered and it was Feauai-Sautia’s strong run in the final minutes which gave his team the field position to finish off an upset.
Paia’aua’s defence has improved but it is the weakest area of his game which rose to the point last year that coach Michael Cheika picked him at No.10 for the Wallabies XV-Barbarians clash in Sydney.
HEAVY LIFTING: Thorn runs brutal gym session
It’s not his fault that, at 91kg, he concedes 20kg-plus to some of the big forward runners who charge down his channel on the field as the Bulls will certainly do.
Fijian flyer Filipo Daugunu earns his run-on debut on the wing in the spot vacated by Feauai-Sautia, who will play his 50th Super Rugby match for the Reds against the Bulls.
“This weekend’s match marks a great milestone for Chris,” Thorn said.
“Fifty games for a team is an achievement any way you look at it but he has had to overcome plenty of injuries to reach this point and everyone at the Reds is really proud of him.
“We’ve gone with an unchanged forward pack for this weekend’s match. They put in a big shift against the Brumbies and really set the tone for that win and they’ll need to put in another big performance against the Bulls.
“Chris has been in great form and offers a lot in the centres. He played there throughout the NRC and provided plenty of go-forward for the team.”
Suncorp Stadium will host a double-header on Saturday with the Queensland Reds women’s team hosting NSW in the opening match of the inaugural Super W season at 4pm (Qld time).
QUEENSLAND REDS TEAM V BULLS
STARTING XI: 1. James Slipper (c), 2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3. Taniela Tupou, 4. Izack Rodda, 5. Kane Douglas, 6. Adam Korczyk, 7. Liam Wright, 8. Caleb Timu, 9. James Tuttle, 10. Jono Lance, 11. Eto Nabuli, 12. Samu Kerevi, 13. Chris Feauai-Sautia, 14. Filipo Daugunu, 15. Aidan Toua RESERVES: 16. Alex Mafi, 17. JP Smith, 18. Sef Fa’agase, 19. Harry Hockings, 20. Angus Scott-Young, 21. Tate McDermott, 22. Hamish Stewart, 23. Duncan Paia’aua
6:45pm (Qld time) kick off, Saturday, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Originally published as Brad Thorn supersizes Queensland’s centre pairing, drops 2017 standout Duncan Paia’aua
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