Miles Amatosero prepped for Reds niggle after pre-season scuffle

The NSW Waratahs are backing Miles Amatosero to contain his emotions amid promises from north of the border that the firebrand lock will be baited in the season-opening Super Rugby Pacific derby against the Queensland Reds.

Amatosero is returning from a two-game suspension for laying into teammate Angus Scott-Young in an infamous training bust-up in Sydney last month.

The 23-year-old was initially banned for four matches before his punishment for landing three punches to Scott-Young’s head was slashed in half after meeting counselling requirements.

Amatosero wasn’t even allowed at the Waratahs’ training base in Daceyville during his suspension and now dual international Wendell Sailor is convinced the powerhouse lock will be an obvious target for the Reds.

“Like all firebrands in any sort of code, you’ve got to try and bait them,” Sailor, a former Red and Waratah, told AAP.

“It adds to the spice of the game and I know in the dressing rooms, you talk about it.

“I remember us all saying ‘you’ve got to get into him early’ because he’ll be all fired up and it’s one of those things where you’ve got to use all your tools to make sure you try and get the upper hand.

“Because it could be a one-point or three-point game and that may be the difference.”

New Waratahs skipper and second-row partner Matt Philip has no concerns about the Amatosero keeping his cool in the derby cauldron on Friday night.

“He knows what’s coming and we’re prepared for that,” Philip said after Thursday’s captain’s run.

“I’ve spoken to him about it. I said ‘You know, this is what’s going to come? And he goes, ‘Yep, that’s, that’s fine’.

“He’s ready to deal with it and I don’t think he’s going to have any issues on that front, and he’ll show his reaction through the laws of the game of rugby.”

Nor does Philip have any issues about Amatosero making an immediate return to the NSW team.

“He obviously did a lot of work away from the club for that two-week period,” Phillip said.

“Credit to him, he’s come back in in really good shape and obviously well enough to earn that starting role.

“We’ve got full faith in him here that he’s going to do his job.

“He’s a a big man, a big, physical man. I’m excited to play alongside him. I love playing with players like that.

“So credit to him coming back. It was an unfortunate incident but we’re training at high intensity. You know, people want to perform for this jersey and unfortunate things happen – and it was very unfortunate.”

Hailing Amatosero’s “huge potential”, Phillip believes the 23-year-old will have learned from the incident and develop into a potential Wallaby in 2026.

“He’s obviously a big man, but he’s athletic and he’s got a good engine,” the Tahs captain said.

“And obviously he’s got that aggressive side to him as well, which can’t really be taught, I guess, as a lock.

“So I think he’s got a huge future and this will be his breakout year. I don’t think that that (suspension) is going stop him.”