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Reds and Waratahs name settled sides for 'fierce' rivalry match

By AAP
Jordan Petaia of the Reds in action during the round three Super Rugby Pacific match between ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds at GIO Stadium, on March 11, 2023, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Coach Darren Coleman has named an unchanged starting XV for the first time all season as the Waratahs bid for elusive back-to-back Super Rugby Pacific wins.

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The Waratahs take on the Queensland Reds in Townsville on Saturday having not won successive games since round 11 and 12 last year – some 15 matches ago.

As well as Wallabies spots going on the line at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, the sixth-placed Reds and seventh-placed Waratahs are locked in a tight six-team battle for the remaining three quarter-finals berths.

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The Reds are precariously placed just two competition points above the Waratahs but nine shy of the fifth-placed Crusaders.

Having lost their last four derbies against the Reds, Coleman is delighted to have made only one change, bringing Harry Wilson back to the bench after missing last week through HIA protocols.

The Waratahs escaped with a last-minute 21-20 victory over the Highlanders last start to revive their flagging season.
But they’ve still won only three from nine so far this campaign.

“We’re happy with the result last week but are still searching for an 80-minute performance which we’ll need against a dangerous Reds outfit away in Queensland,” Coleman said.

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“Our rivalry with the Reds is one of the oldest and fiercest in Australian sports and we can’t wait to get up to Townsville.

“They’ve had the wood on us for the past couple of years and with the ladder as congested as it is, this match is almost worth double points so we’re definitely cognisant of the importance of this match.”

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Like the Tahs, the Reds are relatively settled with the only change from the starting side that beat the Western Force last week being Ryan Smith replacing Seru Uru in the second row.

Reds coach Brad Thorn expects both sides to be fired up, noting individual tussles across the park as the Test hopefuls look to impress Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.

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“The two nines are sharp, the forward battle and both teams have a bit of strike in their backs,” Thorn said.

“We’ve done our homework on the Waratahs, they’ve done it on us. It’s just an important game for both sides and traditional rivals.

“I’m sure this is one of those games the people above will be looking at – there’s match-ups there isn’t there?”

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Bull Shark 46 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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