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Ex-Ireland U20s lock handed first Super Rugby Pacific start with Reds
Former Ireland U20s lock Cormac Daly will start a Super Rugby Pacific start for the first time on Friday evening when the Queensland Reds host the Highlanders at Suncorp Stadium.
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Daly, who recently spoke with RugbyPass about his unlikely journey to the Reds, starts in place of injured in-form lock Seru Uru. The Irishman will pack down alongside Ryan Smith.
With Wallabies Tate McDermott and Fraser McReight suspended, and Uru and centre Josh Flook injured, coach Les Kiss has made a number of changes to the Reds’ starting side.
Wallaby Jordan Petaia replaces injured Flook at outside centre, which opens the door for Toowoomba’s Mac Grealy to return to the First XV on the left wing.
Kalani Thomas gets the nod at halfback while young loose forward John Bryant will step up in the No. 7 jersey. Tom Lynagh and former All Blacks prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen are both also back in the run-on side.
“The opportunity in this now is to give more exposure to players who were playing off the bench and other players in the program to step up as well,” Kiss said.
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“We had a massive surge at the beginning of the year. There was a great expectation that we put on ourselves, and we met that. Now, there’s a different expectation about how we respond to it. It’s a part of the journey.
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
1
Draws
0
Wins
4
Average Points scored
26
28
First try wins
20%
Home team wins
80%
“There’s one Vo Rogue front-runner in this competition and that’s the Hurricanes. The other teams are within striking distance down to the last three.
“It’s a tight challenge in that mid-table.”
Alex Hodgman and try scoring machine Matt Faessler will also start in the front row, while the only other unmentioned forwards are familiar faces captain Liam Wright and Harry Wilson in the backrow.
Wallaby Hunter Paisami joins Jordan Petaia in a lethal midfield combination, while Suliasi Vunivalu and Jock Campbell are the other places in the starting backline.
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Taking a look at the bench, Louis Werchon is in line for a potential Queensland Reds Super Rugby debut while Joe Brial could possibly make his Reds debut.
This match is scheduled to get underway at 7:35 pm local time.
Queensland Reds to take on Highlanders
- Alex Hodgman
- Matt Faessler
- Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
- Cormac Daly
- Ryan Smith
- Liam Wright (c)
- John Bryant
- Harry Wilson
- Kalani Thomas
- Tom Lynagh
- Mac Grealy
- Hunter Paisami
- Jordan Petaia
- Suliasi Vunivalu
- Jock Campbell
Replacements
- Josh Nasser
- Peni Ravai
- Sef Fa’agase
- Angus Blyth
- Joe Brial*
- Louis Werchon**
- Lawson Creighton
- Tim Ryan
*Potential Queensland Reds debut
**Potential Queensland Reds Super Rugby debut
Comments on RugbyPass
Most underrated player in world rugby.
1 Go to commentsHow many fans will travel to Qatar to watch these games ? because if they dont, it will be played in front of a few disinterested unknowledgeable Qataris and then just becomes media ‘content’. Thats what Test rugby will be reduced to.
1 Go to commentsSo as long as the playmaker still has the ball IN his hands, its OK. Otherwise the timing is wrong and he’s a liability. No grey line there. Thats the rule he is advocating ? Got it.
3 Go to commentsWrite them off at your peril
8 Go to commentsJust fantastic that the professional game is finally being taken to the Pacific islands. Not before time. It justifies the mere existence of Moana as a club, hopefully they can start to get some positive results too. Check out the sheer joy of the crowds in Fiji and the buzz that having a home team creates. Tonga always had (has ?) issues with their ground not complying with International rugby standards, which NZ always used as an excuse for many years not bringing the All Blacks over. Hopefully this match is the first of many. Would be great to see some tourism grow on the back of it. I once went to the Cook Islands Sevens in Rarotonga - tiny island nation but man did they turn it on. Tonga and Samoa will too given half a chance.
1 Go to commentsQuite right. Punish the time wasters. Its BS these time delays for non-injuries. The Boks have been using it for years now to slow down opposition and now its a scourge on the game. Put players like DeGroot on the sideline and restart play immediately. Watch how 5-6 min to fix your boots quickly becomes 1-2 minutes. Better still how about some personal professional management and you check the conditions/turf beforehand and get yourself better prepared. It might even help your team.
1 Go to commentsWhat drivel. Rugby as a contact sport should not be further diminished by crying over legal hard tackles. Take on the line? Be ready to take the hit. This is PC nonsense.
3 Go to commentsGregor Paul is going to be proved totally wrong. The Crusaders will get in the top 8 and are capable of winning this comp. The return of magnificent captain and player Scott Barrett on Friday was huge. There are a number of players returning and Ethan Blackadder showed huge progression in only his third game back. Christian Lio-Willie has added a new dimension , these two’s combination with Cullen Grace was fantastic. This builds depth when you have outstanding players like Tom Christie and Dom Gardiner also available. The tight five improved ten fold and this is with Tamaiti Williams and Codie Taylor being back.Others are set to return. Johnny McNicoll on his return home has been a revelation. Paul can dismiss Fridays win by the Crusaders as much as he likes and he will prove very popular in this country in doing so. But he will be proved wrong , Rob Penney and his coaching team will have the last laugh.
8 Go to commentsI haven’t seen or heard to many whinging about Finau quite the opposite. The TMO’s have reviewed each time and taken no action, so if they have now been alerted it’s not from people whinging The player comes flying out of the line and launches himself at the attacker so it is probably ruled as a committed tackle, but at what point does it move to tackling a player without the ball Time will tell
3 Go to commentsThis cracked media record of aligning success or failure on head coaches is remarkable. Using the crusaders past history as an example, a more sensible observation and analysis could be that the recent head coaches had inherited a extremely successful combination of players linked to their traditional historical support of the Canterbury people. That period ended this year when the new coach was introduced to virtually a new team. And in a year where other franchises have grown much stronger than their respective past, it was always an anticipated reality that the coach and his new crusader team were up against it. Therefore, I humbly believe that unlike some commentators present, I laud coach Penny and the team for their efforts to date and I am sure given another term and with Canterbury behind them they will be riding high once more. Strange all this coming from me who lives in Taupo and a one eyed chiefs supporter. Can't wait for all future chiefs and crusader games!
8 Go to commentsGrt bench player..keep him there..
3 Go to commentsA Springbok 2-0 win: haha told you we were champions now shut up An Irish 2-0 win: the referee was under orders from world rugby to cheat us but luckily we don’t care because this is part of Rassie’s grand world Cup plan.
112 Go to commentsI hope they didn’t pay Jones fee?
2 Go to commentsTo be fair, the teams he's had to put out are reminiscent of those available to Gatland during his horrible run at the Chiefs in late 2020. Anyway, he's only got a two year contract and Wellingtonian Tamati Ellison will be ready by then, as will a lot of talented youngsters (like the Chiefs Gatland blooded). The Crusaders are planning for the long term.
8 Go to commentsGreat to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
2 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
8 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
8 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
112 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to comments