Semifinal 1: Reds V Blues

[Slim 293]

Why so cynical?

Kaplan + Dickinson = Cynicism

 

[Groucho]

Disagree. Maybe he used to be....but when was the last time he lost a game?? Or even put the game on the line?

I don't remember him ever losing a game for his team. It wasn't my point. He's a risk-taker and it is always possible. Drew Mitchell used to be the same.

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

Rene Ranger is avaliable for selection this weekend...Isiah Toeava started running last weekend and is an outside chance althought I doubt he will be fit...although if Blues beat Reds...he could be fit for the final....Should be a good match up, Im pretty sure that the Blues will do everything they can to make sure John Afoa, Luke McAlistair and Joe Rokocoko winners....Im keen to see the match up between Luke Braid and Beau Robinson...I think Robinson is a shoe in for the Wallabies this year. Easily the best 7 behind Pocock.

 

[chequebalance]

Can't wait for this one! Have my tickets and will be counting down the hours this week

 

[qwerty51]

Gill start and Beau from the bench?

 

[TOCC]

Cant see Gill starting, not against the physical Blues backrow either, Link had to bring Shatz into the backrow last week to supplement Gill, i expect this week we will see Beau and Samo both return to the starting lineup.

 

[Jets]

Gill start and Beau from the bench?

Better to start Beau and see how long he goes for and bring Gill off the bench. I think Samo is a good chance of starting and the Reds will go back to a 5-2 bench.

 

[Tangawizi]

I think Beau & Samo will be straight back in. With Boric out the Reds should be looking to really go after the Blues line-out and get quite a few steals by the end of the night. It is one of the few areas they should be able to establish clear dominance in. If Ranger and Toeava are back this week the Blues backline will take some stopping.

Will Lance play fullback again for the Reds this weekend? I wonder if Houston is any chance of getting a bench spot for the Reds or if he's already played his last game for us.

This story seems to confirm that all of Robinson, Ant Fainga'a & Ioane will be back for the Reds.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...clash-with-blues/story-e6frf4qu-1226082300028

Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie says his side are used to being in sudden-death mode and won't be complacent as they regain three key players for Saturday's Super Rugby semi-final against the Blues.

Two Test backs - blockbusting winger Digby Ioane and tough centre Anthony Fainga'a - plus rugged flanker Beau Robinson are all on track to return for the Suncorp Stadium showdown.

Ioane, man of the match in Queensland's 37-31 win over the Blues in Brisbane in mid-May, missed two matches with concussion.

Fainga'a sat out the the last two with a hamstring tear.

An elbow injury sidelined Robinson for the Reds' past three fixtures, but he played half a game of club rugby on Saturday.

"They are three very important players in getting us to where we are at this point in time, so it's not lost on us that having them coming back is very timely," McKenzie told AAP on Sunday.

The Blues advanced after spiking the prospects of an all-Australian semi-final with a clinical 26-13 win over New South Wales Waratahs in Auckland.

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Waratahs assistant coach Michael Foley is tipped to replace incumbent head coach Chris Hickey, though NSW officials are saying no decision will likely be made until after an internal review of the team's season.

The other semi-final will be in Cape Town in the early hours of Sunday morning (AEST), when the Stormers host the Crusaders, who beat the Sharks 36-8 in Nelson on Saturday.

The last 18 finals matches between teams from different countries over the past 12 seasons have all been won by the home side.

Overall, foreign teams have won only four out of 29 finals and no travelling side has succeeded since the Crusaders won the 2000 season decider against the Brumbies in Canberra by one point.

Renowned for his meticulous preparations, McKenzie is leaving nothing to chance and not taking any statistic for granted.

"I can guarantee you there's absolutely no complacency, I know no-one's getting ahead of themselves at all," McKenzie said.

"We've done enough to get some wins the last few weeks, but we don't think we've played our best."

The Blues trailed the Waratahs early, but took control of the game in the second half, starving understrength NSW of possession and territory.

"They played tactically smart, they played the corners once they got ahead on the scoreboard and pretty much strangled the Waratahs, I thought they were pretty good all round," McKenzie said.

"They've come off a patch of bad form, they've had two wins in a row, finding form again and looking dangerous. They play a total game."

McKenzie said Queensland had already played plenty of "life and death" games on their way to the finals.

"We lost to the Brumbies and if we cocked up the last two on the road against the Force and the Chiefs, we might have missed the finals altogether, so we feel like we've been playing sudden death anyway."

 

[tigerland12]

I dont think Leroy will be in the 22 (mind you he had a blinder for Sunnybank this week), Shatz and Gill will be on the bench

 

[TOCC]

barring injuries, i think we have seen the last of Humprhies and Houston in Reds jerseys

 

[ChargerWA]

Now as an official Red's supporter for the next couple of weeks, i'm glad the Tah's didn't make it through. It would have been much more unpredictable match due to the intense rivilary. Not discounting the Blues, they are still a threat, but thankfully Link has shown the ability to get the boys in the right frame of mind at crunch time. The Red's won't take this one lightly.

 

[liquor box]

Better to start Beau and see how long he goes for and bring Gill off the bench. I think Samo is a good chance of starting and the Reds will go back to a 5-2 bench.

That is the obvious way to play with Robinson and Gill, but I often wonder if it is back to front when it comes to a "young gun" and an older player. I would give Gill 20-25 minutes as a starter to go crazy and use up ALL of his energy taking the sting out of the Blues and then bring on Robinson to play against a tired blues team. If Robinson has been good against starting opponants then he should be better against a tired team.

 

[drewprint]

I dunno, I see it a bit differently. I think Beau should start, as we need to set an aggressive, abrasive tone right from the outside. It'll be an arm wrestle for early forward dominance. Then in the late stages of the second half bring Gill on to nab turnovers from a tiring pack.

 

[No4918]

What is the latest with ticket sales? Last night and this morning i havent been able to find it listed on the ticketek website.

 

[Rev Spooner]

Ludicrous to suggest the QLD will be taking this match lightly - it's a semi-final! Be wise to start with Robinson and bring Gill on later. The line-out will still be tough even without Boric as Ali Williams is back to his best form in years. Let's pray our kicking game is up to scratch and that Kaplan doesn't turn it into a scrumfest.

 

[fatprop]

The Blues will have to improve markedly to get near the Reds on Saturday's performance.

 

[chasmac]

Is there any room left on this bandwagon?

OK,
It's monday morning, Tah's are goooone. I think its time to get on the bandwagon. Would it help if I told you I was born is Brisbane and was once able to proudly hold up the Risdon Cup before skulling some XXXX from it, after an epic victory at Gold Park !!
Seriously, I am looking forward to this game. The prospect that excites me the most is Higgers V's Kaino. Kaino is hitting form and had a big one against the Tahs. Higgers has been great this season but has not yet convinced everyone that he can dominate in a wallabies jumper. Getting the upper hand on Kaino this weekend would give everyone this side of the Tasman a big warm and fuzzy feeling, given that Rocky hasn't had many minutes this year.
Red, Red, Red........

 

[Jets]

Talk this morning that there were only 12,500 tickets left. I thought it would have sold out as soon as the Blues were confirmed as the opposition.

 

[What2040]

Win, Lose or Draw the Reds have had a fantastic season already. Supporters everywhere, wearing jerseys (girls, boys and kids) - has lifted the code immeasurably (certainly in Qld) QRU in the black $$$$$$$$$
- REDS by 12

 

[RedsHappy]

Talk this morning that there were only 12,500 tickets left. I thought it would have sold out as soon as the Blues were confirmed as the opposition.

I think we'd have seen faster sales for July 2 if the Tahs had won, partly as Tahs' fans would likely have come up in good numbers. Reds' fans have already seen one game v Blues, quite recently, and my hunch would be that quite a few fans will surmise that the Reds will win on Saturday, watch that on TV, and then come in absolute droves if we get to a July 9 match. Ticket prices are up as well.