Bryce Hegarty ready to guide Rebels against Reds if James O'Connor fails fitness test

ALL the Super Rugby buzz is about a Quade Cooper v James O'Connor duel, but there is another flyhalf ready to sink the boot into the Reds.

ALL the Super Rugby buzz is about the anticipated duel between Wallabies hopefuls Quade Cooper and James O'Connor on Saturday night, but there is another flyhalf ready to sink the boot into the Queensland Reds.

Former Broncos under-20 pivot Bryce Hegarty has sparked a form turnaround from the Melbourne Rebels, and is set for battle against Cooper should O'Connor, who has missed two matches with a sternum injury, be ruled out of the clash at Suncorp Stadium.

Brisbane product Hegarty has been named at flyhalf for the Rebels, but O'Connor may yet be added to the starting XV or the reserves bench.

The Rebels have won two of their last three outings with Hegarty at flyhalf, overcoming the Stormers before last week's triumph against the Waratahs.

O'Connor trained with the side yesterday but will need to pass a contact session today if he is to face his good mate Cooper.

"I wouldn't hesitate in giving Bryce another go," Rebels coach Damien Hill said.

"He's done a fine job, but having said that, James is a Wallabies flyhalf.

"Bringing him in will help elevate the performances of the guys around him."

Four years ago Hegarty, the son of former Manly NRL player Steve Hegarty, was at the centre of a cross-code tug-of-war when he had to decide between 1st XV duties with Marist Brothers Ashgrove and a national under-18s finals match with his rugby league club side Norths Devils.

At the time he chose the 13-man code and went on to play for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL's under-20s competition.

While rugby league won the battle, rugby union won the war when Hegarty, who has been compared with another code hopper, Berrick Barnes, signed with the Rebels.

He made his Super Rugby debut off the bench in round 13 against the Blues, and his arrival has coincided with a form surge from the Victorian club.

The Reds arrived back in Brisbane yesterday after their marathon trip home from South Africa.

Brumbies flyhalf Matt Toomua believes the fact the Hurricanes still have a faint sniff of making the finals will make them all the more dangerous at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.