Super Rugby AU: Brad Thorn heaps high praise on Reds defence coach

When a Zimbabwean was told the product of his coaching was “Originesque”, he fully understood he was being highly praised.

Reds halfback Tate McDermott’s work in defence was instrumental in his side’s win over the Rebels. Picture: Getty Images

Ordinarily, Zimbabweans tend not to be rugby league fans but when Queensland coach Brad Thorn described his team’s defence against the Melbourne Rebels as “Originesque”, the man responsible for it, Michael Todd, fully understood he was being highly praised.

Thorn, despite having won the 2011 World Cup with the All Blacks doesn’t have a whole lot of history with Australian rugby. So when asked to compare the Reds’ Super Rugby AU display against Rebels — when they were forced to make 143 tackles to nine in the second half against Melbourne but didn’t concede a point — all Thorn could do was to liken it to the defensive efforts of the great Queensland State of Origin teams he once played with during his years in league.

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“You can’t describe it except saying ‘Queenslander’,” said Thorn, reviving Billy Moore’s history-making exhortation to the Maroons as they filed down the tunnel as underdogs for a 1995 Origin match. As it happens, Todd has been to a State of Origin match and knew the history of the rivalry. So he was well aware Thorn was doling out his highest praise.

Todd, who migrated to Australia in 2009 after two years earlier having represented Zimbabwe at rugby’s Junior World Cup in Ireland, never expected to find his name being spoken so reverently at a post-match press conference.

While he had helped Thorn with the Queensland Country side in 2017, the same year he joined the Wallabies for their spring tour as a computer analyst, all of his work earlier this year had been on laptops. That was until the COVID-19 pandemic struck and he suddenly found himself answering an SOS from Thorn to take over the defence coaching role after Peter Ryan was laid off by the Queensland Rugby Union.

“It’s been a pleasant experience but a steep learning curve,” Todd told The Australian on Sunday. “I wouldn’t say we are doing too much different. We have just tried to simplify it. We know it is going to be a short tournament so we just try to do all the simple things really well as well as play for each other.”

Normally, Reds halfback Tate McDermott is feted for his attack but he made at least three try-saving tackles on Saturday and he admits that working with Todd has been eye-opening.

“From my point of view, it’s the basics done well,” McDermott explained. “You stick that first tackle, you get right back to the basics, everyone does their job. Todd has taken that to another level.”

The Reds have a short turnaround before playing the Western Force at Cbus Super Stadium on Friday night, but look set to go into that match without outside centre Hunter Paisami who again damaged his medial ligament against the Rebels. Indications are he suffered only a grade one tear but until he returns, the Reds will be able to use Jordan Petaia in the position in which he is the Wallabies incumbent. Hopefully Teflon-coated attacker Jock Campbell is not forced onto the wing as Petaia’s replacement because he is developing into a quality fullback.

Any chance the Force might have had of figuring in the play-offs seems to have vanished following their 28-8 loss to the Waratahs on Friday but coach Tim Sampson is still pressing for a win and recognises that won’t happen while his lineout is leaking so severely. “We lost eight lineouts to the Tahs and three of them were critical,” he said.

Jono Lance had a forgettable match but the centre pairing outside him, Richard Kahui and Kyle Godwin performed well — Godwin especially — while fullback Jake Strachan looked composed in his Super Rugby debut.

Fears Rebels centre Matt Toomua had sustained spinal damage against the Reds were allayed when scans cleared him of injury and he was able to join up with teammates for the return flight to Sydney. The Rebels have the bye this week.

Meanwhile, Brumbies coach Dan McKellar will have everyone available for the match against the Waratahs on Saturday night in Canberra. It remains to be seen whether he will throw incumbent Wallabies halfback Nic White into action after he cleared self-isolation following his return from the Exeter Chiefs. “He has been there for a few weeks now and he returned in good shape so we’ll see,” said McKellar.