Kiwi favourite Mike Harris has the first crack at Quade Cooper’s No.10 jersey but Wallabies tourist Ben Lucas will fight him all the way to Queensland’s Super Rugby opener against NSW.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie will start the robust Harris at five-eighth in Saturday night’s first trial against the Brumbies in Cairns, with utility back Lucas to replace him at halftime.
Since superstar Cooper ruptured knee ligaments at the World Cup in October, Harris has been seen as the natural replacement on the basis of his 2011 breakthrough at inside centre.
But Lucas has also impressed coaches in the pre-season and can fill the dual playmaking and goalkicking role by outpointing the former New Zealand under-20 representative in trials against the Brumbies and Western Force.
The fact the season kicks off with three interstate derbies, highlighted by the February 25 clash with the Waratahs, McKenzie has stressed he’ll select the form No.10 from the two auditions.
“Training’s something you can go with but in the end there’s nothing like the heat of battle,” McKenzie said on Wednesday.
“When it’s a fair dinkum game you can assess it best from that and that’s what we’ll do.”
Rather than be downcast by Cooper’s absence for at least six matches, McKenzie believes Harris or Lucas will give Queensland an element of surprise.
“We think there’s some exciting stuff that we can play around with tactically and both players offer us something,” he said. “We want to share that and see what they’ve got.”
A revelation at inside centre in 2011 before his season was ruined by a knee injury, Harris admitted he wasn’t looking to replicate Cooper’s left-field attacking flair.
“Quade’s pretty flamboyant with his trickery but I haven’t played a game for a long time so for me it will be about doing the basics right,” the 23-year-old said.
Although a dark horse for the role, second-string halfback Lucas was groomed for No.10 in 2010 when Cooper was sidelined in the pre-season before making way and then taking his chance at fullback last year.
McKenzie has selected leaders James Horwill and Will Genia among seven Wallabies on the bench and named returning prop Ben Daley as captain of a starting side containing three Test players.
Among the most intriguing selections, initial playmaking contenders Jono Lance and Dallan Murphy will play at outside centre and fullback respectively.
Queensland: Dallan Murphy, Dom Shipperley, Jono Lance, Ben Tapuai, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Mike Harris, Nick Frisby; Radike Samo, Beau Robinson, Eddie Quirk, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, Albert Anae, Ben Daley (capt). Res: Kevin Davis, James Hanson, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill, Digby Ioane, Saia Faingaa, Will Genia, Liam Gill, Ben Lucas, Luke Morahan, Jake Schatz, Guy Shepherdson, James Slipper, Ulupano Seuteni, Aidan Toua.
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