Wallabies great backs Reds winger Filipo Daugunu for ‘old school’ role

Wallabies great Matt Burke insists Queensland Reds winger Filipo Daugunu could follow “that South African model” of covering both the backs and forwards, believing the new Super Rugby centurion could do a job at flanker.

Daugunu has been one of the clear standouts for the Reds this season, which included a match-defining try against the Crusaders last weekend. In Daugunu’s 100^th Super Rugby appearance, the milestone man gave Queensland the lead with less than 10 to play.

Louis Werchon pounced on a loose ball a few minutes later, with the replacement scrum-half racing away for a result-sealing effort. Chay Fihaki secured a losing bonus point for the visitors with an 81st-minute try, but the Reds had done enough to make history in Brisbane.

It was the first time since the 2011 Super Rugby Grand Final the Reds had defeated the Crusaders at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. Werchon, No. 8 Harry Wilson and injured fly-half Carter Gordon all contributed, but Daugunu’s efforts have earned praise from former Wallabies.

Burke spoke of the forward-backs combination, with Rod Macqueen coining the hybrid term ‘forax’ or ‘foracks’ in 1989. The Springboks have used the likes of Andre Esterhuizen as a utility player in the past and there’s reason to believe Daugunu could take on a similar role in Australia.

“He was the everywhere man,” Burke said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.

“He wore 14, he can wear 12 and 13. He could wear seven easily. We’ve seen that South African sort of model now where they’re going 12 and seven.

“We saw [Leicester] Fainga’anuku go in at eight at the last play of the game – picked up and ran, made about 20 metres.

“[Daugunu] could easily be that old school, Roddie MacQueen ‘foracks’ – forward, back combination. That was the old days.”

Daugunu finished with the second-most number of carries behind teammate Hunter Paisami and clocked in with a game-high 120 running metres. That was at least 50 metres more than Josh Flook and Jock Campbell, who had the equal second-most carry metres.

But the Stan Sport panel, which also included commentator Sean Maloney, highlighted Daugunu’s defensive efforts as well, showing a clip of the No. 14 running from one edge to midfield to make a tackle on Corey Kellow.

Daugunu then ran back towards the right sideline, shepherding a Johnny McNicoll grubber kick into touch, while Sevu Reece ran after the ball. It’s those types of moments that, as former Wallaby Morgan Turinui explained, make Daugunu so impactful.

“You see him play and you go, ‘Geez he was good.’ Then you look at the detail and the data behind it, his involvements, the quality of them,” Turinui explained.

“Then also you see that, his intent to be involved but this his situational awareness. If they get turned over and he’s in the middle of the park, he is on his bike out to the wing to cover.

“He’s super fit, he’s fast.”