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Reds boss Brad Thorn's challenge to the Brumbies ahead of heavyweight clash
Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn has challenged Super Rugby Pacific rivals the Brumbies to take on his scrum in a spicy prelude to their latest battle.
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The Brumbies beat the Reds by four points a fortnight ago in Canberra, with statistics showing seven of eight first-half scrums resulted in a penalty.
The unbeaten Brumbies will return to Brisbane on Saturday for the first time since the Reds’ (5-1) dramatic after-the-siren win to claim last year’s Super Rugby AU title.
Those two close results continued a remarkable trend between the sides, with 14 of the last 15 encounters won by the home team but seven of the last eight decided by five points or less.
The scrum tactics have been a source of friction between Thorn and Brumbies coach Dan McKellar, who will leave his post permanently at the end of this season to re-link with Dave Rennie as Wallabies assistant.
The Reds can jump the Brumbies into top spot if they manage a bonus-point win and Thorn has dared the visitors to take them on up front, eager to pump up the tyres of his own scrum guru Cameron Lillicrap in the process.
The former prop and distinguished physiotherapist won a World Cup in 1991 as a player before serving on the staff for the Wallabies’ 1999 triumph.
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“The scrum going to ground, we’re not about that here,” Thorn said.
“If you look at the last four years, with Cameron Lillicrap (as scrum coach) … we feel we get dominance through that and we’ll be looking to compete there.
“He’s been around the game a long time, he’s quality and then you’ve got a scrummaging lock (Thorn as coach), we are passionate around the scrum.”
Thorn stopped short of labelling the Brumbies’ tactics as negative.
“I’m not interested in commenting on that stuff; I’m just saying we want to scrum and everyone knows that. We want to play positively,” he said.
Angus Gardner will again officiate the rematch, Thorn confirming he had encouraged the prospect of a scrum contest in their post-game debrief.
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“You just want to have a good game of rugby … we’re in the entertainment business,” he said.
Reds lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto won’t return from an ankle injury despite being named on Wednesday, while winger Filipo Daugunu will return for his 50th cap with Jock Campbell (hand) sidelined.
The Fijian talent was surprised on Friday by the secret visit to Ballymore of his auntie, who was a key player in his arrival in Australia to pursue a rugby career and hadn’t seen him for more than four years.
The clash will also pit Creighton brothers Lawson and Hudson against each other for the first time, after they were named on the Reds and Brumbies’ benches respectively.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
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