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It’s fair to say that the approach of Queensland Reds’ gruff, old school coach Brad Thorn has divided rugby fans, and there will be plenty raising eyebrows after his post-match comments on Friday night.
Thorn’s team was outclassed down the stretch by the Crusaders in Christchurch, and Thorn explained his pride that a team with several “tradies” on board had managed to give the Kiwis a decent fight.
“There’s been improvement but we have to go another step, or a couple more steps, because at the end of the day we want to win,” Thorn said.
“Good sides, that’s what they do, that’s why they call it the money time. The guys brought plenty of fight, they wore the Queensland jersey with pride, went toe-to-toe but the Crusaders got the job done.
“We went toe-to-toe, but credit to the Crusaders.”
Earlier this season, out of nowhere almost, Thorn raised his hand to be considered a future coach of the Wallabies. That made fans of other Australian clubs pay a little more attention to him as they tried him on for size as a Wallabies mentor. Not everyone likes what they see.
While Dave Rennie speaks openly and honestly, there is a sense that no conversations with Thorn rarely scratch the surface.
He hasn’t clearly explained the reasons why he didn’t take Wallabies lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to New Zealand for the quarterfinal, and his decision to leave Fraser McReight on the bench until the Crusaders game was all but lost puzzled many.
Of course, he had to contend with an outrageous injury list that cost him two world class players in Taniela Tupou and James O’Connor, and Thorn was upbeat about the opportunities given to some emerging players in recent weeks.
“Two things go into finals, momentum and having your players available but you’d like to think there’s been some real growth in our depth,” Thorn said.
“Lawson Creighton is a tradie, still does a few cashie jobs, and he’s running 10 against a World Cup star player in (Richie) Mo’unga.
“Matt Faesler at hooker is a chippie, going head-to-head with Codie Taylor and (lock) Ryan Smith calling the lineout, he’s an air-conditioning tradie.
“These guys have got opportunities and exposure which is really cool and I’m sure you’ll see a lot more of them next year.”
Reds coach Brad Thorn. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Thorn acknowledged his team was still short of the standard required.
“We had some success against the Australian sides,” he said. “Went down by two points to the Chiefs, eight to the Highlanders, had a couple of of solid hit outs with the Crusaders last two weeks. I think there has been improvement but we have to go another step or steps.”
Without Tupou, whose contract situation is still to be resolved, the Reds scrum was bullied all night in Christchurch.
“It was pretty hectic. There was some pressure around the scrum. It is something we pride ourselves on but the Crusaders got some pay there.”
All Blacks legend Sir Bryan Williams, one of the driving forces of Moana Pasifika, has a dream of a Pacific Six Nations competition.
Williams joined The Roar expert Harry Jones for a special edition of our podcast on Saturday – reflecting on his career as a 113-game All Black as well as the impact of Moana Pasifika in the SRP this season.
He said a main objective of he and Sir Michael Jones was to raise the standard of Pasifika talent by giving them more exposure to top class competition.
“We realised the disadvantages that the Pacific Island national teams always faced when they came up against the big boys,” Williams said. “Lack of finance, lack of preparation, coming together for a week’s training before you take on the All Blacks and Wallabies.
“Moana Pasifika has given an opportunity for all of our players to play in a top mainstream competition and then feed into the national teams.
“This week we’ve seen the Tongan national team named with 13 of the Moana players, and Manu Samoa I saw a team announced with a similar number.
“What I’d ultimately like to see with it is playing regular Test matches on an annual basis against Australia and New Zealand and perhaps Japan and the three Pacific Island nations. We could have a really meaningful Six Nations competition.
“That might be a stretch for some at the moment but I think that’s certainly possible.”
Crusader Ethan Blackadder and Blues backrower Dalton Papalii are both in doubt for the All Blacks’ series against Ireland next month.
The NZ Herald reports that Papalii has a “medical issue” that could sideline him for the rest of the SRP campaign and the Ireland Tests.
“Papalii was named to start at openside flanker for the Blues, alongside Akira Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu, against the Highlanders but the medical issue is believed to have since flared up and he is understood to have had key hole surgery,” the NZ Herald reported on Saturday.
Papalii, who started eight Tests for the All Blacks last year, has been superb this campaign as the Blues have put together a club record 13 straight wins.
Blackadder looked to be in considerable pain when he left the field during the defeat of the Reds, holding his arm to protect his injured shoulder.
“It’s a shoulder, not great,’’ Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said.
“He’s unlikely to be involved for the rest of the season for us, and hopefully it’s not (requiring) an operation.’’
Meanwhile, the Highlanders’ hopes of upsetting the Blues could rest on the fitness of captain Aaron Smith with reports he could miss out with a groin injury.
England centre Manu Tuilagi has been ruled out of next month’s tour to Australia after undergoing a procedure on his knee, his club Sale Sharks said.
England play the Wallabies in a three Test series in their first tour of the country in six years, which gets underway in Perth on July 2.
“Sale Sharks can confirm that Manu Tuilagi has undergone a routine procedure on his knee which will rule the 31-year-old out of this summer’s England tour to Australia,” the statement read.
“The club, in close consultation with England Rugby, have decided that a summer of rest and a full pre-season is the best course of action.”
Tuilagi, who has appeared just 46 times for England due to various injuries since making his debut in 2011, missed their entire Six Nations campaign as Eddie Jones’ side finished third.
England crushed the Wallabies 3-0 on their last tour of Australia in 2016.