Queensland star Samu Kerevi confident Reds will snap long losing sequence against NSW
The Dad’s Army centre pairing picked by NSW to muzzle Samu Kerevi on Saturday night will prove a masterstroke or the gateway to a drought-breaking Queensland Reds victory.
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The Dad’s Army centre pairing picked by NSW to muzzle Samu Kerevi on Saturday night will prove a masterstroke or the gateway to a drought-breaking Queensland Reds victory.
Centre Kerevi has yet to beat the Waratahs in six seasons yet it’s for suffering fans that he feels as deeply about snapping the inglorious streak of 10 losses to NSW.
“Stop Kerevi, stop the Reds” is the simple formula behind the Waratahs selecting two centres for Suncorp Stadium who have more kilometres on the clock than an old Ford Falcon.
Slowing veterans Adam Ashley-Cooper, 35, and Karmichael Hunt, 32, will both pour 15 years of top footy into the defensive smarts to shutdown Kerevi’s influence.
“It’s kind of humbling being a targeted man but I feel that each week and I always play to get my teammates involved,” Kerevi said.
You have to look deeper than Kerevi’s mind-boggling season stats ... he leads Super Rugby for ball-carries (139), running metres (1146) and tackles busts (50).
What makes him more potent is that he’s taken on coach Brad Thorn’s push to develop like All Black great Ma’a Nonu with more passing and kicking subtleties.
He also leads the Reds for linebreak assists (11) and offloads (18) which is where his partnership with centre partner Chris Feauai-Sautia can swing the big clash.
“Chrissy and I have been playing together since Brisbane State High and it’s just flowing between us right now,” Kerevi said.
“If I do one thing, he’ll do what complements it without really having to say a word, which means I know he’ll be there when I’m making an offload.
“Chrissy and I understand how strong ‘K’ is in the tackle and ‘AC’ is at reading the play so it’s important the impact we have.”
The less heralded Feauai-Sautia is a gamebreaker, too: “Samu always gets his hands free for the offload and I know where to be in support after all our years together.”
Inside centre Hunt has produced some striking offloads and plays for the Waratahs but being burnt on the outside is his Achilles heel now his lateral movements have slowed.
Unfortunately, a direct team like the Reds play into Hunt’s hands because there’s no dancing speedster like Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) to expose him unless Sefa Naivalu decides to finally roam off his wing.
Hunt is up for it: “When you play freakish talents, whether it be physical players like Samu or lightning wingers or fullbacks, it’s your team defence that solves the problem.”
The Reds are not even acknowledging that they know they have been bunnies on interstate night for 10 games since their last win in July, 2013.
“I haven’t looked into it too much and I don’t know if I’ve beaten the Waratahs but it’s something I really want to change,” Kerevi said.
Of course, he knows.
Craggy-faced physio-scrum coach Cameron Lillicrap, a former Reds prop of the 1980s, knows old tales of interstate success are largely irrelevant to inspire the current crop.
“This is their time and night because we have a wave of 21, 22 and 23-year-olds who have all come through together who want to write their own history,” Lillicrap said.
That doesn’t stop it being of deep significance across all generations as 64-year-old Queensland rugby legend Mark Loane exemplified.
Loane spoke passionately at a Friday tribute lunch in Brisbane to recognise the late Bob Templeton, coach of the famous 48-10 win over NSW at Ballymore in 1979 when he was captain.
Kerevi’s team can be a clarion call for fresh history because only a win tonight will keep the Reds in the finals race.
* Jim Tucker’s tip: Reds by 12
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