New Zealand’s dominance over Australia in Super Rugby continues as the Chiefs piled on the points in the second half en route to a commanding victory over the Reds at home.
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Final score
Chiefs 46
Reds 17
The Queensland Reds are coming off a tough Super Rugby defeat to the Waratahs and will have to show plenty of character to challenge the Chiefs in New Zealand. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5:30pm AEST.
A tough season for Queensland rugby continued last week as the Reds succumbed to the Waratahs up at Suncorp Stadium. The Reds held the lead on numerous occasions but failed to withstand a spirited Waratahs fightback.
Now, the onus is on the Reds to show immense spirit tonight as they take on a Chiefs side that will be keen to rediscover their best form after an inconsistent month of rugby from the New Zealand powerhouse.
While the Chiefs have won three of their past four matches, it doesn’t mask the fact that they barely defeated the Sunwolves last week in a game many thought they would conquer very easily.
Throw in a narrow win over the Force in Perth and a hard-earned victory over the Cheetahs after trailing 24 nil and it’s easy to see why the Chiefs will be hardly pleased with their current form.
With this in mind, expect the Chiefs to make a statement of sorts tonight against a Reds unit already missing the services of fullback Karmichael Hunt.
In good news for the Chiefs, Charlie Ngatai will make his long-awaited return to Super Rugby. The 26-year-old Ngatai will play his first game almost a year to the day since a head knock against the Highlanders left him with long-term concussion symptoms, placing his career at risk.
A one-cap All Black, the Taranaki ace was one of 2016’s standout performers in midfield and likely would’ve played more Tests.
Instead, Ngatai has slowly worked his way back to full health and fitness, ticking off the final boxes with three club rugby appearances.
He’ll line up at second-five for the encounter.
He’s one of eight changes to the Chiefs’ starting line-up, with Brodie Retallick and Michael Leitch recalled to action and Mitchell Brown switched to the blindside to make way for Sam Cane at No 7.
Tawera Kerr-Barlow is back at halfback after overcoming concussion and partners Aaron Cruden in the halves, while midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown slots in outside Ngatai at centre.
James Lowe and Toni Pulu are on the wings, in what will make for a dynamic outside back combination alongside Damien McKenzie.
On the bench, Test hooker Nathan Harris has been named for what could be his first Chiefs game in 10 months, having torn his ACL in an All Blacks training session last August.
Meanwhile, Reds coach Nick Stiles has shifted Duncan Paia’aua to play fullback after Karmichael Hunt was ruled out with a knee injury.
Campbell Magnay comes into the centres for a rare start and captain Samu Kerevi moves into the No 12 jersey.
Prediction
The Chiefs, like all NZ teams, just possess a clear edge in class and chemistry at their best and should be too strong for the Reds at home.
Chiefs by 22
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I didn't apologize for him. I stated he isn't a no tackle guy in all the tackles he made this year. That's an undisputed fact.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Fin I can't say the thought of Knuckles fills me with confidence. He has hardly coached in the last decade. If at all. The points on Graham and Stiles are fair but at least Stiles has followed the path you would expect of a player, shown success at NRC level then been promoted. The quality of the assistants is a huge concern though.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I've never said that foreign coaches are not an option. I've said the individuals that you proposed are not good options themselves. Jake White was a good coach for us. We certainly got burned by his ambition to coach at international level again, but he ultimately was a successful coach for the Brumbies. Somebody like Joe Schmidt would obviously be a good coach to get. Possibly even Gatland (though I wonder if he has been bereft of ideas once his great generation of players has gotten older). None of these coaches are interested in coaching the QLD Reds though. The options you have proposed are coaches that have had no success winning tournaments with their teams. I would have preferred Blackadder to Stiles. But I question whether he would have achieved great success had he taken the job. Don't put words into my mouth. I've been pretty clear about why, due to the performance of the England team under his stewardship, I don't think Lancaster was a good option for the Reds. The 5 franchises get who they can afford with coaches. Much like with players. It's not a shock that the leagues that players gravitate towards due to higher contracts has the same effect on coaches. You seem to look at this as though everybody is even and has the same access to the same people. This is clearly not the case. As Rob points out with the Blackadder example.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Thanks for the last response Rob - helps me understand the NSW situation better in particular!
RobC
Roar Guru
re coaching. Yes, good point about the RD thing. Well if we can stand (in fact love) a NSWer like EM. Im sure we can accept a Kiwi. Heck, a lot of our players are born there or overseas anyway :lol: Go Tan Tup! Lukhan! QC! etc etc re Gibbo. Analysing him is easier than Stiles. Its selection: - NSW mgmt havent brought in ANY impact players. - Where's the JacqPot of the Tahs?? - Its almost all promoted via NRC, I believe - NZ, and other Aus teams have brought in outsiders incl Blues, Chiefs, Landers - I believe is the NNSW (new NSW) ethos. Maybe Hore is promoting this principle (rightly so) - Kinda backfired this season. NSW should rethink their recruit strategy, and not OD on their pathway kool-aid.
RobC
Roar Guru
Train? He's a young man from what I gather. He will mellow in time. On the technical bits: - I happen to agree with him re the five team model. - In my view, WA and Vic are not good locations to capture eyeballs and audience. - The opportunity cost is heartland states (Qld, NSW (Greater Sydney), ACT/Country NSW) - Just like league, there should be more games in Qld and NSW, esp NSW. - Four teams teams (ie "dropping" one of the two outlier venues) is a step in the right direction - Apologies for sounding heartless. But its just analysis. Anyway I digresss
Fin
Guest
Stiles is on $400K. Laurie Fischer was approached. Turned it down straight away. His rate at Glaucester at the time was 800K. Fischer's rate Would be similar to Blackadder and Lancaster I would imagine. I told the QRU I would do it for $300 just to keep Stiles out. They replaced one cut price coach (Graham) with another. The assistants are learning their roles at this level too. Having said that both Jason Gilmore and Brad Thorn have had good success coaching the youngsters at under age level (Tuttle, Rodda, Tui, Perese, Toupou, Korchzk etc.) and there is more young talent to come over the next couple of years as well. The Reds have the best under 20's players in Australia. Who is going to coach them? Will it be Brad Thorn, Gilmore etc. or will they stick with NS? BTW Knuckles would have done it for $200. He's was desperate for the job.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Rob - I think you're prob right about Blackadder being offered the job first, that does ring a bell. Would have been interesting to see how he went with the Reds, given Gibson's struggles at Waratahs and the fact that TB's job at Bath may now be under threat as Bath have failed to make the play-offs. The graft of a foreign coach (even a very good one from NZ) doesn't always 'take' in Australia, or the UK for that matter - a certain amount of luck may be necessary to get it to work given the diff in cultures... But you don't want that difficulty to harden into a reluctance to learn or seek help from anyone else do you? - the Robbie Deans story?? He did after all try to improve the infrastructure of Australian rugby as a whole... TWAS seems to me to be an example of someone who obv is an intelligent commentator on the game... but the repeated justifications that five SR franchises are right and (now) that foreign coaches in Australia are probably wrong appears to stem from a kind of wilfulness. That's how it appears to an outsider like myself anyway. Just how many more games do the Aussie SR sides have to lose to the Kiwis before it is accepted that a real, concrete change is necessary?
Train Without A Station
Guest
What are all these players on Nick? Do tell... Each Australian team has the same salary cap. That is paid by the ARU and I'm almost certain that it cannot be used for a coach, so I fail to see your point. Moore wanted to return to QLD, Higginbotham has business interests in QLD and wanted to return. Smith purchased property in QLD and wanted to settle there and Quade wanted to return to QLD. All have reasons to take less than elsewhere to play in QLD. The Reds just happen to be fortunate beneficiaries. Where's you're evidence that the Reds have spent more on recruitment than anybody else in Australia? Which is a big claim considering there is a salary cap.
Brizvegas
Guest
Of the 19 missed tackles TWAS how many were by Quade resulting in tries?
Rhys Bosley
Guest
No idea what you are talking about, must be a Tah thing.
Jock Cornet
Guest
TWAS the scoreboard says it all. The reds are crap cause your rugby nurseries are crap end of story but leaguies cause you are going to keep getting flogged.
Jock Cornet
Guest
Great result nothing to woru about TWAS. Australian rugby is looking up.
Cynical Play
Guest
Looks like the Reds had a few cones.
Cynical Play
Guest
He was an intern tonight. Let through a try, slid off plenty. Oh and his attacking was golden. Kick, kick away , kicks way again and the opposition score. Then Drop the ball. Confuse the runners so they drop the ball. He just loses it QC. It's like some has his voodoo doll and stick the pins in. Worst performance from QC this year. Tuttle was great. Higgers immense. Cooper proved that 50/50 men, of which he is the classic example, are not great rugby 10s. Keep apologising for him though TWAS flog.
Cynical Play
Guest
He was an intern tonight. Let through a try, slid off plenty. Oh and his attacking was golden. Kick, kick away , kicks way again and the opposition score. Then Drop the ball. Confuse the runners so they drop the ball. He just loses it QC. It's like some has his voodoo doll and stick the pins in. Worst performance from QC this year. Tuttle was great. Higgers immense. Cooper proved that 50/50 men, of which he is the classic example, are not great rugby 10s. Keep apologising for him though TWAS flog.
RobC
Roar Guru
Toddy was in the centre of the radar I believe, Nick. Ive forgotten the other names. Sorry been off the boil wrt following the Game lately. RT might recall
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
(To Rob) - do you know who was? :)
RobC
Roar Guru
what I understand Nick, Stiles was not the first choice.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Perhaps needing to bring his own assistants and the costs was a sticking point. So they can afford to invest more money in recruitment than anyone else on the playing front (Smith, Higginbotham and Quade) - but then they can't afford the right coach? An allocation of resources that doesn't make much sense to me I'm afraid... These are all factors that they have to consider and none of us know what was said between the candidates and the QRU. I do happen to know at least some of the details of the process (which I am not prepared to reveal) and IMO it was probably skewed towards Stiles' appointment right from the start.