Mooney: 'We'll test Tahu'
Wed, 14 May 2008 12:03
Reds coach Phil Mooney has dared Waratahs counterpart Ewen McKenzie to gamble on big-name recruit Timana Tahu for their mammoth Super 14 derby clash at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
McKenzie will announce his Waratahs team for their must-win last-round Super 14 match against the Reds amid speculation Tahu will be selected at outside centre.
Mooney expects the former 'Tahs and Australia league wing to be thrust into that key role and didn't hide his view the move could backfire on the under-pressure visitors.
Tahu has never started at No.13 - widely regarded as the most difficult position defensively - in Super 14 despite being signed as a prospective outside centre.
After some time playing there in the pre-season, Tahu was picked on the wing by McKenzie at the start of the competition before being grounded by hamstring problems.
The 27-year-old made his return for the Waratahs off the bench in the 13-all drew against the Stormers in Cape Town, playing in both positions.
Tahu may not start at outside centre but the Reds believe he will certainly play there at some point.
Mooney, who also expects to see Lote Tuqiri move back to the wing from fullback, said it was a big ask for Tahu and promised his team would test him out as a potential weak link in defence.
"I think he [Tahu] brings a lot of strengths there but he also brings some potential areas to exploit as well," Mooney told the Association of Australian Press (AAP).
"We have a high amount of respect for him but there's got be some areas we can test him on.
"We've been reasonably successful exploiting some different areas [in the backline] so we've got some good options there," he added.
Picking Tahu at outside centre adds an extra dimension to the clash for the in-form Morgan Turinui who left the Waratahs for the Reds when McKenzie signed up the Parramatta centre.
"That's a team he [Turinui] played all his junior and senior football for and I'm sure there's a little bit extra motivation for him there," said Mooney of Turinui's battle with his former teammates.
"He's been very good for the last period of time so that [the Waratahs decision] has been good for us," added Mooney.
Turinui admitted his motivation was to score a win for the Reds rather than knocking his old side out of the play-offs.
For a change, he's looking forward to Friday's annual Vintage Reds luncheon, which the Waratahs will snub, and listening to "the ex-Queenslanders throw their barbs" at the 'Tahs.
