Tongan ties as Reds unleash Wallaby Kaitu'u

[Burgs]

Tongan ties as Reds unleash Wallaby Kaitu'u for Ikale Tahi clash

Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 1:00 PM
Lachlan Grey

Reds coach Les Kiss will fight Tongan fire with fire this by handing Feleti Kaitu'u a maiden Queensland cap against the Ikale Tahi.

Wallaby #945 Kaitu'u is the latest new face around Ballymore since Super Rugby Pacific wrapped up after impressing with GPS in Brisbane's Hospital Cup competition.

The 29-year-old recently cut ties with the Western Force after 61 games in blue, including a stint as club captain through 2022, and last donned Wallaby gold in 2021.

"He's an experienced player in his own right but for him to come and join us and play will be fantastic," Kiss said of Kaitu'u, whose family hails from the Kingdom of Tonga.

"He'll come off the bench for number two at us. I think it'll be a great experience for him."

Kaitu'u is the only newcomer to a stacked Queensland outfit that has changed little from the side beaten 36-35 by Wales last week.

New recruit Lachie Anderson steps into a starting wing role with Flloyd Aubrey moving to the pine while Massimo De Lutiis swaps tighthead roles with Jeffery Toomaga-Allen for his maiden start.

It's a side littered with Test caps with Jock Campbell retaining the captaincy, James O'Connor unchanged at flyhalf and an all-international replacement front row in Kaitu'u, Matt Gibbon and Toomaga-Allen

For their part, the Ikale Tahi are set to roll out a Wallaby of their own with lock Adam Coleman among a swathe of international stars including 150kg prop Ben Taumeifuna and boom centre Malakai Fekitoa.

"They're explosive and you've got to be careful of this team," Kiss said.

"You give them a start and they're hard to pull back so we need to be on the ball.

"It's going to be a tough challenge, they're at home, I believe there'll be a fairly handy crowd and they can be quite boisterous so we need to be on point."

The Reds tackle Tonga in Nuku'alofa on Friday afternoon following an earlier women's clash featuring Queensland and Tonga's national side - the Lofa.

Queensland Reds v Tonga

Friday 26 July
Teufaiva Sport Stadium, Nuku’alofa
12.30pm AEST

1. Sef Fa’agase – Sunnybank – Shailer Park State High School – Beaudesert Warriors
2. Richie Asiata – Easts – Anglican Church Grammar School
3. Massimo De Lutiis – Easts – The Southport School – Surfers Paradise Dolphins
4. Connor Vest – Souths - Grafton High School - Grafton Junior Rugby Club
5. Ryan Smith (vc) – Brothers – St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe – Caboolture Snakes
6. Seru Uru – Wests, Ratu Kadavulevu School, Fiji – Namoli Rugby Club, Fiji
7. John Bryant - Souths - St Laurence’s College - Souths
8. Joe Brial – University of Queensland – Scots College – Easts, Sydney
9. Louis Werchon - Wests – Sunshine Coast Grammar – Maroochydore Swans
10. James O’Connor - Brothers - St Joseph’s Nudgee College - Brothers
11. Mac Grealy – University of Queensland – Downlands College – Souths Toowoomba
12: Dre Pakeho – Brothers – Anglican Church Grammar School
13. Tim Ryan – Brothers – St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe
14. Lachie Anderson – Eastwood – Oakhill College – Dural Rugby Club
15. Jock Campbell (c) – University of Queensland – The Southport School – Inverell Highlanders

16. Feleti Kaitu’u – GPS – St Joseph’s Nudgee College
17. Matt Gibbon – Bond University – St Joseph’s Nudgee College – Wollongbar Alstonville Rugby Club
18. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen - Norths - Wellington College, NZ
19. Josh Canham – Bond University – Brighton Grammar, Melbourne - Harlequins, Melbourne
20. Taine Roiri – Sunnybank – John Paul College - Sunnybank
21. Will Cartwright – Brothers – St Joseph’s Nudgee College - Brothers
22. Mason Gordon – Wests – Brisbane Boys’ College - Wests
23. Floyd Aubrey - GPS - Marist College Ashgrove – GPSEndFragment

[Burgs]

Reds Name Massimo De Lutiis To Start In Tonga

Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 11:24 AM
Reds Media Unit

Young prop Massimo De Lutiis has been named to make his starting debut for the Queensland Reds against Tonga in Nuku’alofa on Friday.

It’s a major honour for the 20-year-old, who gave a glimpse of his power when he bench pressed 202.5kg in April to lay a claim as Queensland’s strongest footballer in any code.

De Lutiis wisely knows the difference between gym strength and the technical and tactical strengths to scrummaging that he is still learning.

“This trip to Tonga is a great chance to put into action the skills I’ve been learning at training and playing for Easts in club footy,” De Lutiis said.

De Lutiis is already a major beneficiency of the Reds’ International Program. His two cameos for the Reds have come off the bench against Japan’s Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights and Wales.

“I was only on the field for a short time against Wales last Friday but the crowd atmosphere was fantastic and it really made you want to be a part of that match,” De Lutiis said.

Reds head coach Les Kiss has largely stuck to the same side which was edged 36-35 by Wales in a thrilling 11-try spectacle at Suncorp Stadium.

The elevation of new recruit Lachie Anderson to the wing is the only other change to the starting side.

Former Wallaby Feleti Kaitu’u is a new face on the bench as reserve hooker with Matt Faessler, Josh Nasser and George Blake unavailable.

Kaitu’u, 29, has been playing club rugby for GPS since finishing his contract at the Western Force. He faces a potential debut in this cap game for the Reds.

“The Welsh experience was unbelievable. While it really hurt to lose, it was a classic match with 23,000 fans supporting us,” Kiss said.

“The boys did a fantastic job. We had senior players like James O’Connor, Jock Campbell and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen step up for us against Wales but also young guys like Dre Pakeho, just 19 and playing for the first time as a Red.

“It’s Tonga this week and we’re really keen to continue the international exposure for our players and staff.

“The Tongan side will have a lot of quality players with size and explosiveness so you don’t go there and take your eye off the ball.”

The Reds have an ace up the sleeve in assistant coach Zane Hilton. He was assistant coach of Tonga at last year’s World Cup in France and his detail of rugby in the islands extends to preparing lineout jumpers for the sun’s glare over the grandstand for afternoon kick-offs like this one.

Kiss said a tour with both the Reds’ men’s and women’s teams facing the national sides of Tonga was an occasion to celebrate.

“PacificAus Sports do a lot of work to create these opportunities which advance both the players and coaches of the Pacific as well as our own,” Kiss said.

“It’s a great occasion for the Queensland girls to go on their first big trip. To have the teams integrated is fantastic.”

Australia’s PacificAus Sports program supports the Tonga tour.

PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high-performance coaching in Australia and internationally.

The program partners with Australian national sports organisations to support a range of Pacific sports, including rugby union. Funding is split evenly between women and men.

[Garry Owen]

Happy to hear this regarding Kaitu’u, hopefully he can get a contract with QLD

[The InnFORCEr]

7 - 12 after 29 minutes

tries to Inisi + Fa'agase & Brial

[The InnFORCEr]

Ma'asi scores for Tonga 14 - 12.

[The InnFORCEr]

Penalty try to Reds on the half time siren 14 - 19 to the Reds.

[The InnFORCEr]

Try to Ryan. 14 - 26 to Reds after 53 minutes

[The InnFORCEr]

Tries to Asiata & Uru, 14 - 38 to Reds with 7 minutes to go.

[The InnFORCEr]

A final penalty and the Reds win 14 - 41.

[Burgs]

Queensland Reds topple 'Ikale Tahi in Tongan downpour

Fri, Jul 26, 2024, 12:30 PM
Lachlan Grey

More- https://reds.rugby/news/watch-live-q...-union-2024725

Queensland have swept Tonga in Nuku’alofa with the Reds men handing ‘Ikale Tahi a 41-14 defeat in Nuku’alofa.

Backrow duo Joe Brial and Seru Uru reigned supreme in torrential conditions at Teufaiva Sports Stadium while captain Jock Campbell impressed from fullback in the Reds’ second-half surge.

Veteran flyhalf James O’Connor was substituted for a HIA before halftime in an otherwise unmarred performance against Tonga, who held Queensland 12-all in the shadows of half time before falling away late.

“Obviously a very physical game in the conditions, so I think in the second half we really wanted to play field position,” Campbell told media post-game.

“It was quite a significant wind there so we tried to play down their end and make it hard to exit.

Moana Pasifika star Lotu Inisi opened the scoring after just five minutes with a barnstorming run, carrying three Reds defenders over the chalk to send the crowd wild before Richie Asiata hit back in the 11th minute from a trusty rolling maul.

Joe Brial was next to cross on the half-hour mark, fighting his way over the paint following a scrum penalty, but the Tongans hit back immediately through a Siaosi Nai intercept to square the ledger.

However Queensland would have the half’s last laugh with a penalty try putting the visitors ahead 19-12 at oranges.

It sparked a Reds second-half surge with winger Mac Grealy drawing three Tongan defenders down the left flank and offloading to an unmarked Tim Ryan in the 47th minute.

Queensland’s rolling maul delivered another Asiata try in the 62nd minute to stretch their lead to 19 before slick hands to an unmarked Seru Uru put the result beyond doubt.

The Reds pushed for a final try in overtime but Tonga’s defence held firm, Mason Gordon instead slotting a late penalty to push Queensland's tally past 40.

The men’s win follows the earlier success of Queensland’s women, who posted a 65-0 win over the Lofa in their first ever international tour fixture.

The Queensland-Tonga tour was made possible by the support of the Australian government’s PacificAus Sport program.

The PacificAus Sports program also enables access high-performance coaching in Australia and internationally while partnering with Australians national sports organisations to support regional development.

“We’ve got to thank PacificAus Sport for organsing the whole thing, we’re so privileged to be able to come over here,” Campbell said.

“Everyone’s so lovely. I strolled into town, went to a coffee shop, said hello to a few people. It’s just a nice community, I really want to come back.”


ANALYSIS: Friday's Reds-Tonga double header highlights the growth both within Queensland's club culture and Australia's broader support for Pacific rugby and regional development.

Fresh from the success of last year's Australia A tour to Nuku'alofa and Queensland's hosting of Penina Pasifika in 2024, the Reds are going a step further by delivering both men's and women's touring sides to the Kingdom of Tonga.

"One of the real strengths of Queensland rugby overall is the community feel, so have the women's space being integrated with us on this Tongan tour is fantastic for everyone," Kiss told rugby.com.au.

"I think it's their first big trip overseas so it's a wonderful occasion to go over to Tonga and experience international rugby."

The government's PacificAus Sports program is also key driver of the Tongan tour and helps develop pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions.

An advance party of Queensland Rugby staff - assisted by Wallabies legend George Smith - have already been out in force this week delivering clinics across the Kingdom of Tonga - while the inclusion of a women's fixture against the Tongan Lofa aligns with PacificAus ethos of providing equal opportunity to and advancing women's sport.

"PacificAus Sports, their support has been fantastic. They do a lot of work for the pathways for not only players but also elite coaches in the Pacific. They've been a great support to get this underway," Kiss said

"To have the opportunity to go to Tonga is another experience for our team, there's a lot of young guys in this squad, and also for our management to go over to Tonga and have another international experience."

From a high performance perspective, both Queensland's men and women have named strong matchday 23s with Les Kiss unveiling three-Test Wallaby hooker Feleti Kaitu'u an al all-star bench.

Meanwhile, the Reds women have rolled out seven Wallaroos to support a potential eight debutants with their Tongan clash ends a 28-year drought against international opposition.