The Reds are back from their triumphant tour of South Africa, ready to take on competition heavyweights the Bulls. This game is a similar prospect to their coming-of-age match last year, only this time the boys from Ballymore are chasing a record sixth straight win.
Like last year, the Bulls are nearing the end of their tour of Australia and New Zealand and the Reds are fresh off the long haul back from the Republic. By fresh, I mean not fresh at all: possibly jetlagged as hell , and facing a relatively relaxed and rested opposition.
To leave things there would be ignoring the results of last weekend. The Reds will be riding a wave as the first team to inflict defeat on the Stormers, an achievement made even sweeter as it put them on the top of the overall table. The Bulls, on the other hand, were delayed getting out of Timaru due to an airline dress code issue after being totally pantsed by the Crusaders. A few of these South Africans must be going to have pretty nasty flashbacks when they run onto Suncorp, with bad memories wrapped in both in the blue of the Bulls and the green of the Springboks.
There are a dozen reasons why both teams should win this game and another dozen why both could lose it.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has had the luxury of a zero injury tour (I’m not sure if that’s thanks to good conditioning or just good luck) so could have selected an unchanged lineup. Instead he has opted to make one adjustment, rotating the hookers so that Saia Faingaa is starting and James Hanson is on the bench. The ability to start essentially the same team shows that although Link has been developing depth in the squad, the A-Team must still be in good nick.
Taking a look at the Bulls tells us a different story. The most notable of the six changes to the starting XV sees scrum-half Fourie du Preez dropped to the bench in a backline reshuffle that sees Francois Hougaard take the no. 9 jersey. Bjorn Basson swaps wings, Stephan Dippenaar comes into 13 from outside the team and winger Gerhard Van Den Heever comes off the bench; only Zane Kirchner, Wynand Olivier and Morné Steyn avoid the musical chairs. Up front the Bulls are copying Link’s plan by changing hookers to have Chiliboy Ralapelle start. Derick Kuün swaps places with Deon Stegmann, who drops to the bench.
Key matchup: Will Genia v. Francois Hougaard. I think most of us were getting excited over the thought of Sanchez coming up against du Preez, but I am pretty sure Francois will be relishing his opportunity to show he has what it takes against one of the best.
Tip: All in all, you’d have to say that with so many changes and coming off the hiding of last week — and that following a pretty ordinary start to the year — the Bulls’ morale must be flagging and they’ll be a little nervous coming back to Suncorp. They’re an experienced bunch, though, and you would not write off Victor’s mob lightly. That said, I think we will see the Reds consign another record to the dustbin of history by taking a sixth straight scalp (and making it nine straight at home) by beating the Bulls by 3, as I predicted on the Podcast.
Reds team (from fullback): Luke Morahan, Rod Davies, Anthony Faingaa, Mike Harris, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Scott Higginbotham, Beau Robinson, Radike Samo, James Horwill (c), Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Saia Faingaa, Ben Daley. Reserves: James Hanson, Greg Holmes, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Leroy Houston, Liam Gill, Ben Lucas, Will Chambers.
Bulls Team (from fullback): Zane Kirchner , Gerhard van den Heever, Stephan Dippenaar, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson, Morné Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Derick Kuün, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Dean Greyling. Reserves: Gary Botha, Rossouw de Klerk, Danie Rossouw, Deon Stegmann, Fourie du Preez, Francois Brummer, Akona Ndungane.
