Embattled Reds name rookie flyhalf
Vince Rugari
May 13, 2015, 8:28 am
Rookie flyhalf Jake McIntyre will make his Super Rugby debut in a new-look Queensland Reds side against the in-form Melbourne Rebels on Friday.
The 21-year-old has been named to start in what has been a problem position for the bottom-placed Reds all year, replacing Nick Frisby, who is in doubt with concussion.
McIntyre has been unavailable for the majority of the 2015 season due to off-season knee surgery.
His inclusion comes amid a backline shakeup for Queensland, with Karmichael Hunt returning at outside centre, Lachie Turner shifted to the wing and James O'Connor moved to fullback.
Hunt has been sidelined for the last three weeks with an adductor injury and also lost 3kg after a nasty bout of gastro.
Anthony Fainga'a drops out of the side due to concussion, with Samu Kerevi to play at inside centre.
Embattled Reds coach Richard Graham said Friday's clash at Suncorp Stadium is a must-win, on the back of last round's embarrassing capitulation to the Crusaders in New Zealand, which has increased the scrutiny on his tenure at the club.
"There has been a fair bit of self-review going on this week but as they say, the great thing about sport is there is always next week," Graham said.
Frisby is a chance to be named on the bench but Graham said that decision would be made later on Thursday.
"People need to remember that through circumstance he was the sixth-choice flyhalf and in my opinion he has done very well," Graham said.
"The consistent time on the field now will benefit him greatly moving forward."
Graham said it had long been his plan to play Hunt in the centres.
"I had always thought that given 10 or 12 games he'd naturally shift forward but we haven't seen too much of him through circumstance," he said.
"Given our own circumstance, time is not something we have as a luxury and hence the change.
"We hope to get a little bit more talk and variation in the outside channel."
The Reds have won seven out of their nine Super Rugby meetings with the Rebels but the Melbourne outfit is humming like never before in its history, following consecutive wins over the Chiefs and the Blues.
Reds: James O'Connor, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Karmichael Hunt, Samu Kerevi, Lachie Turner, Jake McIntyre, Will Genia, Jake Schatz, Liam Gill, Adam Thomson, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, James Hanson, James Slipper (capt). Res: Andrew Ready, Pettowa Paraka, Sam Talakai, Ed O'Donoghue, Lolo Fakaosilea, Nick Frisby/Scott Gale, Sam Greene, Ben Tapuai.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...ookie-flyhalf/
Apart from having QC at 10, that is about as strong a Reds line up as they could want. Can they pull off of a miracle for Knuckles after just one week? Will the Rebels underestimate their opposite and help them to do so? A Reds win should pay well at the TAB!
