Super Rugby Season Preview – Queensland Reds

The growth in the Australian rugby team across last season before the Rugby World Cup can be much attributed and accredited to the Queensland Reds and Ewen McKenzie. 

The playing quality and form shown from star Wallaby internationals Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane and skipper James Horwill were very much the spearhead of the current Super Rugby champions.

I was most impressed however with the depth of the squad, performing consistently at the highest level. Forwards such as James Slipper, Saia Faingaa, James Hanson, Rob Simmons, Scott Higginbotham, and Radike Samo, were playing to a standard that was getting them onto the periphery of playing for the Wallabies and being a part of the Rugby World cup.

The back line did pull their weight also, Anthony Faingaa, Ben Tapuai and Rob Davies illustrating international quality midfield play.

The exclusion of Quade Cooper from the beginning weeks of the upcoming season will be diminishing, yet their season-on-season continuity in personnel should pull them through. I share the same view as Ewen McKenzie; it will be a good situation in the long run to have blooded other players into the playmaking role during the early season.

The shaping of play can be aided by Will Genia along with the leadership role from a powerful pack steered by captain James Horwill. A clear skill of Ewen McKenzie is his ability to develop talent, and the young prospect Liam Gill is an example of great talent being moulded in a successful environment.

Queensland Reds will be severely tested without their star playmaker along with the Super Rugby champion tag. A lethargic beginning of the season is possibly a worry due to returning Rugby World Cup internationals, yet I believe Ewen McKenzie will have everything prepared and accounted for.

Squad:

Forwards: Ben Daley, James Slipper, Greg Holmes, Guy Shepherdson, Saia Faingaa, James Hanson, James Horwill, Van Humphries, Radike Samo, Rob Simmons, David McDuling, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Scott Higginbotham, Eddie Quirk, Beau Robinson, Liam Gill, Jake Schatz.

Backs: Will Genia, Ben Lucas, Quade Cooper, Michael Harris, Anthony Faingaa, Ben Tapuai, Digby Ioane, Rod Davies, Luke Morahan, Don Shipperley, Aidan Toua, Chris Feanuai-Sautia, Jono Lance, Peter Hynes.