Reds fans fondly remember Will Genia and his amazing 65m try as the most instrumental part of Queensland’s breakthrough 2011 Super Rugby triumph against the Crusaders, but not coach Ewen McKenzie.
For McKenzie, it was stalwart prop Greg Holmes’ unheralded efforts – holding firm against an All Black front-row determined to demolish the maligned Queensland scrum.
And for that, Holmes will be rewarded by starting his 100th Reds match against the Sharks on Friday night in Brisbane.
A former Wallabies tighthead prop himself, McKenzie’s pride still burns after regular loosehead Holmes was thrust into Queensland’s No.3 jersey for the 2011 decider after scrum anchor James Slipper was injured just two games before.
It was man-of-the-match Genia who sealed the 18-13 win with his late solo try at a packed Suncorp Stadium but he only had the chance after the Crusaders scrum – with bearded trio Wyatt Crockett, Corey Flynn and Owen Franks leading the way – was largely repelled.
“For me, (Holmes) was probably most instrumental in helping us win that final on the day,” McKenzie said.
“That was a really difficult assignment with no practice (at tighthead) really and he did a great job for us.
“The scrum could have been our achilles heel. They could have smashed us up.
“But he held firm. I think we had one bad scrum but he held firm in that first 60 (minutes) and that gave us a platform to be able to get enough points to win.”
Holmes, who has started 10 of the Reds 11 matches this season, may well have been rotated onto the bench against the Sharks but McKenzie has ensured he’ll join the 25-man 100 caps club with a big challenge against Springbok Jannie du Plessis.
The longest-serving current Reds player, the 29-year-old becomes just the third prop to reach the century mark following Dan Crowley (124) and Sam Pilecki (122), and it comes six years after he played the last of his 13 Tests.
“When I started here, he’d been in the squad for a long time and probably a little bit complacent,” McKenzie said. “But I’ve really seen him find a new lease of life.
“He’s been great. So he deserves to run out at Suncorp in front of a big crowd.”
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