Super Rugby AU: Reds hoping for a sting in the tail against Brumbies

The Brumbies have become the measuring stick of Australian rugby.

James Slipper is building a solid case for the starting Wallabies loosehead position. Picture: Getty Images

It is not something they may have consciously striven for but now that it has happened, they pride themselves on it. The Brumbies have become the measuring stick of Australian rugby.

The Melbourne Rebels gave it their best shot but fell away in the end, so too the Waratahs who, despite producing their best rugby of the season, faltered three minutes from full-time as Brumbies replacement halfback Issak Fines, full of energy, exploited some tired legs in the NSW defensive line. The Western Force seemed momentarily starstruck at the start of their game and found themselves 12-0 down after only five minutes. After that they did well to prevent the score turning ugly but, still, 24-0 paints a fairly stark picture.

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And now it is the turn of the team that thinks of itself as the pretenders to the throne to measure themselves against the Brumbies. “This is where we find out how good we are,” Reds chairman Jeff Miller said on Friday.

The Queensland Reds almost toppled their Canberra rivals in the opening match of the season, back on January 31, when they led 17-7 for a brief time but eventually fell away after full-time to lose 27-24.

The Reds had vaulted back from 27-17 with a try from No.8 Harry Wilson to get to within three points and were in possession just outside the Brumbies 22 only to squander their chance when halfback Moses Sorovi knocked on at the scrum base.

It was mistake that highlighted their immaturity and one which seems to have clouded their preparation for Saturday night’s rematch at GIO Stadium. This time around, coach Brad Thorn has stacked his bench with players of the order of Jordan Petaia, Tate McDermott, Fraser McReight and Feao Foluaika, all regular starters when fit, in the hope of finishing powerfully.

If it weren’t for the fact that all Australian teams are released at the same time, one would almost suspect that Brumbies coach Dan McKellar had seen the strength of the Reds bench and decided to fight fire with fire. As it happens, the “finishers” he named are merely a reflection of the overall strength in the Brumbies squad. In just about any other Australian team James Slipper, Tom Cusack, Lachie McCaffrey, Fines and Andy Muirhead would all be in the run-on side.

Slipper is building a solid case for the starting Wallabies loosehead position. He is carrying so powerfully these days and scrummaging so strongly that it would not surprise if Dave Rennie reversed the current order.

After starting in all his 28 Tests from August 2013 to July 2015, Slipper’s role under Michael Cheika was downgraded to bench player. In all but eight of his last 31 Tests, he played as back-up loosehead to Brumbies teammate Scott Sio. But now that pecking order is not so cut-and-dried and it will be intriguing to see whether he is able to negate Reds’ strongman Taniela Tupou as he did back in January.

Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa also is looking to the likes of Cusack and McCaffrey to inject energy off the bench if and when it is needed.

“The Reds have a great bench and are obviously looking to bring on some impact in the last 20 minutes,” he said. “It’s great for us to have some experienced players there in Cusack and McCaffrey, who are our leaders, to come on and drive that communication and that energy for us.”

For the first time in memory, the Reds skipped their captain’s run on the eve of the match, preferring instead to rely on an extended training day on Thursday to complete their build-up.

In a COVID-19 era, where they are forced to take a charter flight from Brisbane to Canberra and return in the one afternoon, no doubt lots of things differ from the norm.

One constant this season, however, has been James O’Connor in the playmaking role.

Of the 10 matches the Reds have played this year, he has been at five-eighth in all but one of them – curiously enough, against the Brumbies when Isaac Lucas held their reins.

It has given Bayley Kuenzle, his young Brumbies counterpart, a genuine thrill to find himself up against a senior Wallaby in only his second start.

“Knowing he’s an experienced player, who has played 50-odd Tests for the Wallabies and a couple of World Cups, it’s going to be a good challenge,” Kuenzle said. “It’s going to be an honour to play against him.”