He might be injured, but Queensland Reds veteran Greg Holmes’ contribution to Saturday night’s clash with the NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium may yet prove decisive.
Queensland’s most capped player, Holmes – sidelined with a thumb injury for another month – was hauled in front of the playing group this week to explain to the club’s new arrivals just how much it means to beat the Waratahs.
And in a scary thought for the reigning Super Rugby champions, even former All Blacks flanker Adam Thomson is feeling like an adopted Queenslander on match eve.
“He’s really bought into the history behind this match,” Reds captain James Slipper said.
“With a lot of the young players we have it was good for it to come from an older player such as Greg, who’s one of the most respected players at the club.
“He pretty much outlined that Waratahs week is a lot different to any other week.”
After another dose of Karmichael Hunt-related controversy, the resumption of Australian rugby’s oldest rivalry couldn’t have come at a better time for the Reds, who have this week bound together in a collective hatred of all things NSW.
Will Genia has already labelled Wallabies and Waratahs coach Michael Cheika as “the enemy” – an approach Cheika himself has warmly welcomed.
But Cheika also admitted there is still something of a fear factor involved in facing the Reds at Suncorp, even if last year’s 34-3 thumping at the same venue suggests there shouldn’t be.
“You’d be lying if you didn’t say there was a little bit of apprehension always if you’re a New South Welshman going up to Queensland for a game,” he said.
“That’s because of the way they’ve performed over many years in rugby, league, everything when it comes to going against blue.”
Waratahs skipper Dave Dennis is also reluctant to write the old enemy off.
“You saw last week they’re finding a bit of sting they didn’t have last year,” he said.
“They’ve got a nice combination there with Genia and (James) O’Connor at 9 and 10 and Thomson in the forward pack has added a different dimension.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Les Kiss identified the most significant change made since his arrival at the Reds to being his diverse and highly qualified assistants.
The Western Force and Melbourne Rebels will kick off the seventh season of Super Rugby Women’s in Perth. Meanwhile, the Waratahs welcome the Brumbies…
After three losses, the Crusaders are not the powerhouse of previous seasons, while Rugby Australia is set for a new Chief Operations Officer to overcome financial issues.
The benefits of a rugby centralisation model will be streamlined development, a united front, and becoming a rugby powerhouse on the global stage.
After eight rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, there are clear parallels between the table and what we see out on the field. They’re observations…
Three rounds into the new Super Rugby Pacific season, it feels like things are falling into their natural place and every team can pretty…
