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The Queensland Reds will be boosted by the return of backs Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Lachie Turner from injury in this week’s clash against the Lions.
As reported last week, Cooper has recovered from a collarbone injury which forced him to miss the start of the season, meaning O’Connor and Nick Frisby had to fill in at fly half.
Quade Cooper, James O’Connor, Samu Kerevi and Lachie Turner will make their return from injury in the starting backline, while props Greg Holmes and Ben Daley have been named on the bench.
The Reds have a strong record against the Lions, winning 13 of the 18 matches the two sides have played, along with one draw.
Reds Coach Richard Graham said it was good to have a fuller squad available to him, but also praised his returning stars for their efforts on the training paddock.
“As a consequence of not only availability but also training quality, Greg Holmes, Ben Daley, Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi, Lachie Turner and James O’Connor have all pushed their way into this week’s 23-man squad,” he said.
“Getting the balance right between selecting first and second game players with the more match hardened was a strong consideration in selection of the team.
“Next week and the week after will add similar pressures, with more players expected to return from injury, but it is what we have been wanting and it’ll only create a more competitive environment that ultimately benefits the team.”
Squad member Michael Gunn may also make his Super Rugby debut after being named as a reserve.
“Michael stands to be the 12th player to make his debut for the Reds this season and it’s great to be able to continue to demonstrate the strength of our pathways in Queensland,” Graham said.
“A number of players were rewarded with spots in our program at the end of the National Rugby Championship and they have all contributed a lot to the team environment over a number of months.
“The group have benefitted from a short mental and physical break and are looking forward to starting the next run of games beginning with the Lions at Suncorp on Friday evening,” he said.
“Since returning to training last Thursday the squad have had the added benefit of a number of players returning to full training. It has added spark to the training environment and we expect to see the by-product of that through our performance.
“Each player is accountable for their role and if we can bring that together we’ll get the team performance we are wanting. There is little time to build combinations and concern ourselves with the changes we’ve implemented this week. It is about getting out there and performing strongly as a squad.
“I have been impressed by the Lions’ creativity and determination. They did well last week to overcome the Rebels in the last few minutes and we understand the need to be disciplined to our strategy for the entire match.”
This week Reds prop Ben Daley’s ‘Be Great, Do Good’ campaign features headgear in support of Epilepsy Queensland – which aims to optimise quality of life for people with epilepsy.
Queensland Reds team to play Lions
1. James Slipper (C)
2. James Hanson
3. Sam Talakai
4. James Horwill
5. Dave McDuling
6. Adam Thomson
7. Curtis Browning
8. Jake Schatz
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. James O’Connor
12. Anthony Fainga’a
13. Samu Kerevi
14. Chris Kuridrani
15. Lachie Turner
16. Saia Fainga’a
17. Ben Daley
18. Greg Holmes
19. Marco Kotze
20. Michael Gunn
21. Nick Frisby
22. Ben Tapuai
23. Chris Feauai-Sautia
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