Hickey cheers on Reds - not just because they're Australian
RUPERT GUINNESS
April 17, 2010
A QUEENSLAND win over the Bulls at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tonight will mean they leapfrog the Waratahs on the Super 14 ladder, but even so NSW coach Chris Hickey still hopes the Reds beat the top-of-the-table South Africans.
The Waratahs have gone into their bye round this weekend placed third. Depending on who beats who this round, they could drop as far as eighth.
However, a Reds win would probably narrow - or at least limit - the lead the defending champion Bulls have on the other sides still in serious contention for a semi-finals berth.
Heading into this round, the Bulls were in first place on 33 points, followed by the Crusaders (29), Waratahs (29), Stormers (28), Reds (26) and Brumbies (26). Asked yesterday who he would prefer to win tonight, the Bulls or Reds, Hickey said: ''It's always hard to go against an Australian team playing against a South African or New Zealand side. If the Reds get up, that pulls the Bulls down the table a little bit. We wish them luck up there.''
Three Australian sides are still in contention for a finals berth and Hickey said it was no coincidence the other team, the Force, are finishing strongly now several injured players have returned.
''One of the really good things is the fact we have three Australian teams in the top six,'' he said. ''That's a really positive thing, particularly the year before a World Cup. Now the Force have got some of their players back that they lost through injury, they are starting to find their form. That is really good from an Australian rugby point of view.''
Such improvement by the Australian sides, suggests Hickey, is due to their suitability to the new law interpretations brought in this season. ''Perhaps these law interpretations have changed the game back to one that suits an Australian style of playing rugby. Before the pendulum was very much towards the defensive side and required more of a kicking game. Those interpretations have probably benefited Australian teams in this competition.
''Australian [sides] traditionally are teams that like to play a ball-in-hand game. It was very difficult before with the law interpretations because [they] favoured the defensive side. Now teams have more certainty about being able to maintain possession, then they are more confident about being able to attack. That probably suits [how] Australian teams like to play.''
Hickey believes the Reds will be up to taking on the Bulls tonight and laughed off suggestions that their coach, Ewen McKenzie, might have sought his advice in light of NSW having tested the Pretorians in their 48-38 loss two weeks after beating Queensland 30-28 in round one.
''No, I don't think so, '' Hickey said when asked. ''I am sure Link's focus will be very much on how the Reds can play. He will have a good awareness of what the Bulls can bring to the table.''
Hickey believes the Waratahs' round-one win over the Reds should now carry more weight.
Asked if NSW felt they did not get the credit they deserved for beating Queensland, Hickey said: ''Initially, we probably felt that a little bit. Obviously their performance throughout the season has shown that they are a good side. We travelled straight from [Brisbane] to Africa and played the Stormers and the Bulls, who again have proven to be two of the top sides.
''It was a tough start to the season, but [it was] probably good to knock it over at that stage. With that under our belt, we have also built momentum as the season has gone on.''
Now that momentum must last.
Next Saturday, the Waratahs will play the Brumbies at ANZ Stadium. And on that matter, Hickey is a lot more coy when prompted to say who will be the favourites.
''Favourites or underdogs - that is really for the supporters and media,'' he said. ''At the start of the game it is nil-all. They know a little bit about our play. We know a little about them.''
