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Rod Davies in Reds fullback mix

Roar Guru
27th March, 2011
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Blazing winger Rod Davies is in line to make amends for butchering a historic Reds hat-trick by solving Queensland’s fullback worries on their tour of South Africa.

In 16 seasons of Super Rugby no Reds player has crossed for three tries in one game but the drought seemed certain to break on Saturday as Queensland ran rampant over the Cheetahs.

Schoolboy sprint champion Davies, who scored two first-half tries, was given a perfect pass from Quade Cooper for a 25m run to the line late in the six-try rout but dropped it cold.

The former Brisbane Broncos recruit had no idea about the hat-trick hoodoo but was quickly cursing himself after the 41-8 win.

“I was going around the crowd and signing a few autographs and they all told me, somehow they knew it, I never knew it,” Davies said.

A groin injury to fullback Ben Lucas has ruled him out of the two-match African trip to play the Lions and Stormers, leaving Davies and Luke Morahan the front-runners to wear the No.15 jersey that Peter Hynes (knee) abandoned last month.

“That’s very disappointing for (Lucas),” coach Ewen McKenzie said.

“He’s just started cementing a spot in the team and doing a good job and every time he seems to get going he gets a setback.”

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Kiwi recruit Mike Harris, who has impressed off the bench at five-eighth and inside centre this season, is also in the mix and has played in the position for North Harbour in the New Zealand NPC.

McKenzie on Sunday added rookie three-quarter Dom Shipperley to his 26-man tour squad which also includes centre Will Chambers, halfback Ian Prior, flanker Liam Gill and former Wallabies prop Guy Shepherdson from the fringes.

Reds squad: Backs – Rod Davies, Ben Tapuai, Anthony Faingaa, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Mike Harris, Luke Morahan, Ian Prior, Will Chambers, Dom Shipperley. Forwards – Leroy Houston, Beau Robinson, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill (capt), Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Saia Faingaa, Ben Daley, James Hanson, Greg Holmes, Guy Shepherdson, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Radike Samo, Jake Schatz, Liam Gill.

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