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Two Wallabies back for Reds

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:25

Wallaby Digby Ioane returns at outside centre and fellow international Peter Hynes to fullback for the Reds' Round Five Super 14 match against the Force at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

Reds' head coach Ewen McKenzie predicts that this will be one of the Reds' toughest games.

McKenzie has shifted Ioane from the wing back to outside centre - where he flourished in 2009 for the Reds and later for the Wallabies on their end of season Spring Tour - following his recovery from a knee problem that forced him out of last week's 23-18 win over the Chiefs.

Fullback Hynes (dislocated finger) also missed that match but returns for the crucial match against the desperate Force, who have yet to earn a competition log point in 2010.  

McKenzie said despite the Reds' encouraging form in the opening rounds, he was always looking for ways to improve and the decision to move Ioane to outside centre at the expense of former Wallaby Morgan Turinui was a reflection of that.

"We don't want to pretend we're doing everything right. We've been competitive and we've had a couple of wins, but we've got to keep trying to improve," McKenzie said.

"We have a lot of good players, so it's about trying things and giving guys opportunities. Obviously Digby is the incumbent test outside centre and we think, for this match, it's the right way to start the game."

Hynes' return to fullback means Wallaby tourist Luke Morahan moves back to his more accustomed role on the right wing, with Brando Va'aulu on the left wing.

"There's a lot of detail in their (Morahan and Va'aulu) games that a lot of people wouldn't appreciate. We asked them to do a lot of things last week and they did a pretty good job," McKenzie said, adding: "We've got to recognise that and give them another opportunity."

In the only other change to the starting lineup, McKenzie has promoted young lock Robert Simmons, who will make his Super 14 run-on debut, to partner Van Humphries in the second row. McKenzie said he wanted to reward Simmons' efforts when coming on as a replacement by swapping places with incumbent lock Adam Byrnes, who has had a lot of game time in the opening month of the season.

"It's a bit of both. Byrnesy's been doing the hard yards for us since the start and Simmo has been doing a good job off the bench, so we want to give him a chance," he said. "But Byrnes is still there and across the game we'll be using both of them."

The Reds’ young front-row of loosehead Ben Daley, tighthead Laurie Weeks and hooker Saia Faingaa remains intact, as does their backrow of flankers Scott Higginbotham and Daniel Braid and No.8 Leroy Houston.

The Reds’ inside backs remain the same, with stand-in captain and scrumhalf Will Genia, flyhalf Quade Cooper and inside centre Anthony Faingaa responsible for igniting their attack.

Former Wallabies Turinui, Sean Hardman and Greg Holmes partner Byrnes, Jake Schatz, Ben Lucas and Will Chambers on the bench.

Despite the Force being winless at the bottom of the log, McKenzie emphasised his team won't be underestimating the challenge they face.

"We're not underestimating them at all. You can't be fooled by their ladder position; they've had three games and they've been in all of them up until the last 15 minutes. They've been playing desperate and hard rugby the whole year.

"They're not inferior and they are a difficult team to play. This will be one of our toughest games. History tells us they've had good and substantial wins over us, and they obviously beat us in a trial a month and a half ago, so there's no reason we'll be taking them lightly."

Reds: 15 Peter Hynes, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Digby Ioane, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Brando Va’aulu, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (captain), 8 Leroy Houston, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Van Humphries, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Ben Daley.
Replacements: 16 Sean Hardman, 17 Greg Holmes, 18 Adam Byrnes, 19 Jake Schatz, 20 Ben Lucas, 21 Morgan Turinui, 22 Will Chambers.

Date: Sunday, March 14
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 16.30 (06.30 GMT)
Referee: Ian Smith (Australia)
Assistant referees: Paul Marks (Australia), Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
TMO: Steve Leszczynski (Australia)

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