Reds vs Sharks

[Godfrey]

Reds by 45.

 

[rustycruiser]

Just did my tipping for the week. And I picked, in a close one........................Sharks.

 

[Reddy!]

Just did my tipping for the week. And I picked, in a close one........................Sharks.

Liar, just trying to throw us off.

 

[RugbyReg]

ok, just putting it out there, I've tipped the Sharks.

It's win-win in the end.

We win, we win. We lose, I win.

Selfish I know, but this is footy tipping we're talking about.

 

[Reddy!]

I hope it's a draw.

 

[RugbyReg]

gulp

QR Reds team to play the Sharks in Durban on Sunday morning Australian time (from fullback):

Peter Hynes, Luke Morahan, Will Chambers, Anthony Fainga'a, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Jake Schatz, Daniel Braid, Scott Higginbotham, Van Humphries, Adam Byrnes, Laurie Weeks, Sean Hardman, Ben Daley. Reserves: Saia Fainga'a, Greg Holmes, Jack Kennedy, Rob Simmons, Leroy Houston, Ben Lucas, Rod Davies.

QR Reds offseason recruit Will Chambers will play outside centre in one of six changes to the starting lineup for this weekend’s round eight Investec Bank Super 14 clash with South Africa’s Sharks in Durban (kickoff 1:00am Sunday Qld time).

Head coach Ewen McKenzie has also beefed up his forward stocks in readiness for a physical encounter with the Springbok-laden Sharks.

In rearranging the starting lineup to give Chambers his first run in the No 13 jersey since joining the Reds from NRL Premiers the Melbourne Storm in the offseason, McKenzie has stuck to his promise to try different combinations on the tour.

The match is the 21-year-old’s second opportunity in the starting lineup this season after previously featuring on the wing in the Reds’ 23-18 win over the Chiefs.

His inclusion means Wallaby livewire Digby Ioane shifts from centre to wing in an otherwise unchanged backline from the one that beat the Cheetahs 31-10 last Saturday.

McKenzie said the plan at the beginning of the season was to develop Chambers into a centre, although events had forced him to play predominantly on the wing during the opening half of the competition.

“We’ve been moving him around through necessity and we’ve been dictated to by injuries and other things,” McKenzie said.

“We put Will in at outside centre against the Force (off the bench) and there ended up being another injury and he was moved back on the wing again. We’ve now seen him play a lot of wing but we want to see him play in the centres.

“This week is a good opportunity to put him in there and give him a decent go. He will have a week’s training and we’ll get to see what he has got."

McKenzie has added more than 200 games of Super Rugby experience to his forward pack with vice-captain Daniel Braid, veteran Sean Hardman and lock Adam Byrnes all returning to the starting XV.

Braid, who has played 73 Super games, returns at openside flanker after overcoming a minor knee injury that forced him to miss the Cheetahs game, while Hardman (117 Super games) and Byrnes (16 Super games) are promoted from the bench to replace Saia Fainga'a and Rob Simmons respectively.

The other change sees 19-year-old QAS Reds Academy prospect Jake Schatz move from openside flanker to his natural position of number eight in place of Leroy Houston, who is one of five forwards named on the bench.

Aware of the impact the Sharks have in their front-row and the depth they possess on the bench, McKenzie has gone for a 5-2 split of forwards and backs on the bench, with two props in Greg Holmes and Jack Kennedy, hooker Saia Fainga'a, lock Rob Simmons and Houston.

“The way we are setting the team up is to make sure we are very competitive across 80 minutes. We’ve got to make sure we have some impactful players in the last part of the game,” McKenzie said.

“The Sharks play a very physical brand of rugby and they look for opportunities in games to impose themselves. And every time they pick a team they basically have 12 Springboks on average.

“We’ve got a group of players with a mixture of experience levels and we’ve been relying heavily on some of our younger guys. We are mindful of the workload to make sure we have a motivated group of players who are getting regular football.

“(Reserve prop) Jack Kennedy is a guy we want to look at, too. He’s had a slow start to the season with injuries but we think he is a player with a fair bit of ability.”

Playmaker Ben Lucas and speedster Rod Davies round out the bench.

 

[Scotty]

“The way we are setting the team up is to make sure we are very competitive across 80 minutes. We’ve got to make sure we have some impactful players in the last part of the game,” McKenzie said.

Is that a word?

He certainly is mixing it up. I don't mind the forward changes (although not sure about Schatz at 8 considering the scrum is likely to be under a lot of pressure), but don't quite understand the Digby/Chambers move. I guess he wanted to try it at sometime, and there is no time like the present.

He is not being the old conservative coach of the past that we saw for the Tahs, and it going to look like a genius if it comes off. Lets hope that Chambers is up to the defensive role.

 

[Newb]

morgs still locked in the doghouse

 

[TOCC]

15. Peter Hynes
14. Luke Morahan
13. Will Chambers
12. Anthony Fainga'a
11. Digby Ioane
10. Quade Cooper
9. Will Genia
8. Jake Schatz
7. Daniel Braid
6. Scott Higginbotham
5. Van Humphries
4. Adam Byrnes
3. Laurie Weeks
2. Sean Hardman
1. Ben Daley.

Reserves:
16. Saia Fainga'a
17. Greg Holmes
18. Jack Kennedy
19. Rob Simmons
20. Leroy Houston
21. Ben Lucas
22. Rod Davies.


wow, interesting lineup, unusual to have two props on the bench, i guess it highlights where the Reds believe they will be attacked the most. Chambers in the centres is a bit of a surprise

 

[disco]

Do you think that's a mistake with Ioane & Chambers positions? Not by Link but by the papers.

 

[tranquility]

No, Chambers was bought to play 13 and I think Link wants to see what he has got. It should be very interesting. Davies is obviously covering on the bench if it doesn't all go to plan. The two props is a good idea, because we got belted up front last week and Daley in particular is looking tired. I would say there will be a double prop swap a little after half time.

Leroy has been really ineffective so far this season, so link is obviously trying his hand as an impact player.

I haven't been able to fault link this season and I think he has got it right again, we will need all the forward re-inforcements we can get.

Isn't a nice feeling to have Braid back - such a good player.

 

[TOCC]

Do you think that's a mistake with Ioane & Chambers positions? Not by Link but by the papers.

no, its on the QRU website as well

 

[en_force_er]

Do the Foxsports dream team people know something we don't? Braid is still listened as injured.

It's probably a mistake but maybe I'll wait to make my trades.

 

[PaarlBok]

The Sharks are desperate and cant afford another loss specially at home. There just to much experience in the Sharks side and think they'll take this one 10+.

They still waiting on the Pom 10, dont expect changes in the team that delt with the Canes.

 

[Reddy!]

Interesting team. Swapping Ioane onto the wing doesn't really affect his impact on the game, but moving Chambers to centre will bring him into the game alot more, and hopefully for the right reasons.

I think sometimes as a coach you just have to have some blind faith in a player otherwise they will never feel like that fit in.

 

[PaarlBok]

Sharks – 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 John Smit (c).
Subs: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Beast Mtawarira, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Andries Strauss, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.

 

[PaarlBok]

Terblanche shifts from wing to outside centre for the injured Jacobs for his 100th Super Rugby cap
Ndungane comes in on the wing
Strauss and Mvovo called onto the bench

 

[disco]

I've never seen Terblanche play in the frontline his strength is counter attack not really sure how his defence stands up so this is a big chance for Chambers going up against a part timer.

 

[Blue]

Terblanche shifts from wing to outside centre for the injured Jacobs for his 100th Super Rugby cap
Ndungane comes in on the wing
Strauss and Mvovo called onto the bench

Plumtree is an idiot. A fucken big one.

That is all.

 

[Sully]

There were rumours about Goodes Visa and his eligibility to play. Any word?