Super Rugby 2020: Relief for Reds as Paisami’s knee injury not as severe as feared
A timely bye will help injured centre Hunter Paisami’s bid to return for the Reds a week before the Super Rugby AU finals series.
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Boom Reds centre Hunter Paisami is set to return for Queensland’s final game of the Super Rugby AU regular season after better than expected news on his latest knee injury.
There were fears the impressive Paisami’s 2020 campaign was over after he suffered another MCL tear in the Reds’ gritty 19-3 weekend win over the Melbourne Rebels at Suncorp Stadium.
The former Melbourne Rising young gun used the sport’s COVID-19-enforced shutdown earlier this year to recover from his previous MCL tear.
But in good news for the Reds, the 22-year-old emerging star’s knee problem isn’t as serious this time around.
While Paisami will miss Queensland’s clash against Western Force on Friday night at Cbus Super Stadium, the Reds’ bye the week after means he should be fit for his side’s crucial battle with the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium on September 5.
“He unfortunately hurt his knee again, but not as bad as last time,” relieved Reds skipper Liam Wright said of Paisami, who recently signed a new two-year deal with Queensland.
“He should return in a few weeks.”
Wright backed Josh Flook, who came on for the injured Paisami against the Rebels, to again handle the role if given the selection nod on Friday night.
“He was fantastic ... he’s been filling the role at training and did it on the weekend, so he’s been really good for us,” Wright said.
“The story is every time whoever steps up ... makes the most of it.”
Having reignited their finals hopes by beating the Rebels thanks largely to a phenomenal defensive display, the Reds are aiming for successive Super Rugby AU wins for the first time on Friday night.
The teams met at Suncorp Stadium last month, with the Force starting well before a Queensland fightback led to a 31-24 Reds’ victory.
“Consistency is what we’re chasing,” Wright said.
“We don’t want to be a team that’s had a couple of good wins here and there, and put in some good performances.
“We want to do that week in, week out. Still to date in this competition we haven’t put back-to-back wins together.”
A win over the last-placed Force will put the Reds on top of the table for at least 24 hours, with current ladder leaders the Brumbies hosting the third-placed Waratahs at GIO Stadium on Saturday night.
“We want to make sure we don’t have to wait on other results,” Wright said.
“We want to back it up with another win and make sure that we’re putting ourselves in that playoffs picture as best we can.”
Originally published as Super Rugby 2020: Relief for Reds as Paisami’s knee injury not as severe as feared