Durban-born Reds flanker Liam Wright ready for Sharks challenge at Kings Park

It’s been nearly 15 years since the Reds beat the Sharks at Kings Park but Durban-born Liam Wright has the home ground advantage on Friday.

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Don’t be surprised if Liam Wright is crowned the prince of Kings Park on Friday night.

The Reds backrower knows Durban better than anyone after growing up in the port city and will have a healthy home-ground support crew as Queensland look to break their 15-year drought at the Shark Tank.

The 21-year-old was only five when Elton Flatley kicked two penalties to steal a dour 6-5 win in 2004 and he’s raring to bust their Kings Park hoodoo front of friends and family.

“Apart from the Smith brothers (JP and Ruan), I’ll be taking all the tickets this week,” he joked.

Queensland Reds flanker Liam Wright (right) in action against the Bulls last weekend. Picture: Christiaan Kotze )

“All my family’s still here really, it’s just mum dad and my sister over in Australia so it’s great to come back over here every now and then and rugby’s a great way to bring me back here. To be able to play in front of them is going to be a huge honour.”

Wright’s African roots run deep — a Durban mother and Zimbabwean father saw him spend formative years hopping across the border before migrating to Australia — and that typical Bokke grit is beginning to show in his own game.

The off-season departure of George Smith has seen Liam Wright rise to fill the openside flanker vacancy. Picture: Nigel Hallett

A brutal pre-season saw Wright enter his second year at Ballymore a more physical and combative player — one who’s out to make the Reds No.7 jersey his own after George Smith’s departure.

“I’m enjoying having a bit more size on me this year and being able to compete with the bigger boys,” he said. “Working with Thorny (Reds coach Brad Thorn) over the past three or four years, physical development has been a big focus point for me the whole way through.”

That physicality will be needed against a monster Sharks pack led by Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira and Wright must continue to impress if he’s to retain his spot ahead of rising youngster Fraser McReight.