3. They’re back
The Reds of 2011 made a reappearance on Friday night, and made easy work of the hapless Sharks. But like in point #5 I’d urge you not to focus on the work of the showponies with double digits on their backs. It was the pigs who got the job done, and whose work has been largely overlooked. Like the Reds of 2011 it was a hard-working eight-man effort where no-one stood out but everyone put in. The leader of the pack is now James Slipper, and he is becoming harder and harder to keep out of the gold 3 jersey. Saia Faingaa also put forward his best performance of the season.
However the battle has only just begun for the Reds. The next few weeks will surely tell us if they are title contenders or merely pretenders. Their tour to SA last year was an abject disaster with a horrible injury toll. It promises to be far better this year, but they need to chalk up at least one win to keep their title hopes alive. This comp is still wide open and they stand as good a chance as anyone.
