Reds to learn while trying to beat the Hurricanes

Reds coach Nick Stiles has a somewhat contradictory plan in mind for Saturday’s clash with the champion Hurricanes.

Young five-eighth Hamish Stewart is impressing for Bond University. Picture: Mike Batterham

Queensland Reds coach Nick Stiles has a somewhat contradictory plan in mind for Saturday’s Super Rugby clash with defending champions the Hurricanes at Suncorp Stadium.

On one hand he wants his side to defeat the Kiwis. On the other, he wants them to take careful note of how impressively they play.

It’s not necessarily the Hurricanes who are playing such impressive football. It’s all the New Zealand teams, from the Crusaders, who lead the competition, through the Chiefs (3rd), the Hurricanes (7th but with a game in hand), Blues (8th) and even the Highlanders who are placed 11th but still beat the Australian conference leaders, the Brumbies, in Canberra last Saturday.

“The way they are playing the game is exciting to watch,” said Stiles.

“They’re using basic skills exceptionally well and stepping up at key moments. You look at the way they set up off set pieces, everyone scanning the opposition for weakness.

“The way they read that weakness and take advantage of it ... it’s something we’re trying to educate our players about.”

The Reds already have had a taste of “Kiwi magic”, with the Crusaders finally overtaking them in the 80th minute of play, but they have had little luck with the Hurricanes as well, having beaten the Wellington side only three times this century, the last occasion in 2013.

Certainly Stiles has gone for strength where he can, with Rob Simmons being restored in the second row and George Smith at openside flanker, and the Reds coach admitted it was always his intention to reinstate the two Wallabies for this crucial game.

He has lost, seemingly, a future Wallaby with lock Izack Rodda down with an ankle injury, but Smith has come in indirectly for one of the Reds’ most reliable players, Hendrik Tui, who has dropped back to the bench. The plan is to hit the Hurricanes hard off the bench, with Hendrik Tui and Lukhan Tui, Andrew Ready and talented winger Izaia Perese all to come on, although the player who surely will generate most excitement is 18-year-old five-eighth Hamish Stewart who has built a formidable reputation playing for Bond University and Queensland Under-20s.

He has earned his chance through Quade Cooper’s suspension but if Stewart can carry his form over into Super Rugby, he could well carve out for himself a permanent spot in the Reds side.

Meanwhile, the Melbourne Rebels have made one change to their starting side for tomorrow night’s clash with the Highlanders in Dunedin, with Mitch Inman recalled to the three-quarter line in place of winger Sefa Naivalu who suffered a shoulder injury against the Waratahs.

Inman is himself a starting regular and has simply regained his position at outside centre but it has forced coach Tony McGahan to move Tom English back to the wing to cover for Naivalu. Against the Tahs, English was nothing short of sensational at outside centre.

The three players all concussed from “friendly fire” head clashes in the Tahs match — hooker James Hanson and locks Callum Retallick and Dominic Day — have all recovered to make the trip to New Zealand, but the tragedy is that all three were missing when NSW began their phenomenal fightback in the second half.

Still, McGahan has named an extended 10-strong bench just in case of any late withdrawals, with two to drop out before kick-off.

The Rebels have made a disastrous 0-4 start to the season. They looked certain to register their first victory when they led the Tahs 25-6 at halftime only for their set pieces to crumble in the second half as the Bernard Foley-inspired NSW side surged back into the contest.

It was the only game Foley has been able to play for the entire season and he may now be facing another long stint on the sideline after pulling up after the match with continuing signs of a concussion injury.

The Waratahs have until tomorrow to name their side to play the Crusaders at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon but seemingly even the extra day is unlikely to be of much use to Foley.