Reds alert to the speed and danger of the fastest Cheetah of all in free-wheelin’ Willie Le Roux

ROD Davies has warned that Cheetahs danger man Willie le Roux can wreck the Reds’ home-ground spell.

Rod Davies is all smiles after returning from serious injury to force his way back into Reds reckoning.

WING weapon Rod Davies has warned that Cheetahs danger man Willie le Roux can wreck the Reds’ home-ground spell as swiftly as he did it to the Wallabies.

When Davies was still hobbling on the long road back from a left knee reconstruction last year, it was the innovative Le Roux who constantly caught his eye.

Chip-and-chase gems, 80m intercept tries, scything diagonal scoots through the defence out wide … Le Roux produced them all for the Cheetahs and Springboks.

News_Image_File: Willie le Roux’s raw pace is a weapon the Cheetahsand Springboks have utilised.

“He’s the go-to guy for the Cheetahs … the one who can tear a game away from you,” Davies said of Friday night’s trickiest rival at Suncorp Stadium.

When given the same warning about Israel Folau last weekend, the Reds ignored their own game plan by directing flaky kicks to him as a red-carpet ride to beating them.

There can be no repeat on Friday night because the roaming Le Roux ignites those around him from fullback or wing like former Reds talisman Chris Latham once did.

The pacy Le Roux breaks the mould of big, direct-running South African backs. His more subtle skills were a key factor when the Boks last year won in Brisbane for the first time since 1971 with a try and the final pass for another.

News_Rich_Media: Melbourne Rebels got their Super Rugby campaign off to a flyer with a 35-14 win over the Cheetahs at home on Friday.

No Cheetahs side or their Orange Free State predecessors have won in the city in four attempts since 1995 and they will be revved for it after a broadside from coach Naka Drotske.

It was Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie who said that Le Roux was “almost Australian’’ in the way he played as a back “capable of special things.”

“He can run it from anywhere, he can play-make, he can drop in that little left-foot chip kick or throw cutout balls. I love watching him play,” Davies said.

It’s a respect borne of Davies loving his own involvement in that same style of Reds game and using his dash to finish for tries.

News_Image_File: Le Roux shows his form for the Springboks against the All Blacks at Ellis Park last season.

That Davies, 24, has his speed back is a credit to his diligence and knee rehab expert Ollie Richardson, who also got Will Genia and Quade Cooper back firing.

“There were times when I couldn’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel but I got back six weeks ahead of schedule for the trials,” Davies said.

“I didn’t take any holidays so I could get right on top of it from the start because I did the knee pretty bad by tearing three of the ligaments.”

The Reds have lost back-to-back games just three times over the past three years which is a strong indicator they learn their lessons.

News_Rich_Media: A visibly disappointed Reds head coach Richard Graham believes it was simply a case of giving away too much in the second half.

“We haven’t suffered a loss like that one to NSW for a while. The guys aren’t dwelling on it but working on a really strong first game at home,” Davies said.

“The Waratahs missed around 15 tackles just as we did but it was key tackles we didn’t make. They are things we can fix.”

Drotske signalled a furious duel at the breakdown with a major backhander after last round’s sloppy 35-14 loss to Melbourne included 17 first-half turnovers.

“We were bullied by an Australian team at the breakdown. That’s simply not on,” Drotske sniped in a leading South African newspaper.

“It is usually something we pride ourselves on. We know we have to make a massive step-up.”