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Staniforth a danger man: Reds
By Wayne Smith
April 15, 2008
HE is the least flashy player in the gifted Western Force backline but no-frills centre Scott Staniforth has been identified by Queensland as their main danger in Friday's match at Suncorp Stadium.
Even without Matt Giteau, who is being rested to ensure there are no complications from the concussion he sustained against New South Wales last weekend, the Force boasts some of the most gifted backs in Australia in Drew Mitchell, Cameron Shepherd, Ryan Cross and Lachlan MacKay.
But in the estimation of Reds coach Phil Mooney, it was Staniforth, the 'Mr Fixit' of Australian rugby who has alternated between wing and inside centre over the past two seasons, who stepped into the breach against the Waratahs following the early loss of Giteau.
"I thought he was the critical guy for them, the one who more than anyone else stood up and had a go," Mooney said. "People tend to look at the Giteaus and Mitchells and co but think back to the Bledisloe Test that Australia won last year and the role that Staniforth played in it - and I'm not just referring to the try he scored.
"He is the guy who is central to the Force and he allows all the others to do what they do."
Staniforth admitted he was flattered by Mooney's assessment and predictably welcomed any extra attention the Reds might direct against him because it would open up opportunities for less heavily marked team-mates.
"But I guess there was a lot more responsibility with Gits out for me to play a bigger role," Staniforth said.
He also believed that with Giteau on the sideline, the Force would be more difficult for the Reds to analyse.
"Teams have been watching him very closely and experimented with all sorts of ways of shutting him down but now that our attack is not pivoting off him, they're not going to feel so comfortable with their analysis," he said.
Still, the Reds could not have helped but notice how strongly replacement five-eighth MacKay took the ball to the line, rarely passing to supports - although when he did it usually was to good effect.
Certainly a MacKay-Staniforth 10-12 pairing will represent a serious physical threat to the Reds' midfield, although Queensland inside centre Berrick Barnes has proven himself to be one of the best defensive backs in the Super 14. And he will be aware that opposite number Staniforth represents probably his biggest rival for the No12 Test jersey.
"That's going to be a great match-up and I definitely feel there's a Test spot on the line there," Mooney said.
Force coach John Mitchell rejected the suggestion that his players might struggle to get themselves up physically and mentally against the Reds after such an exhausting game against the Waratahs.
"It's no different," said Mitchell. "It's another derby. At the end of the day, each player individually is responsible for his mental preparation but if you don't get up for an Australian (game), there is something wrong with you."
Although the Force was not called on to make quite as staggering a defensive effort as the Waratahs, who made 252 tackles, 35 of them by Dan Vickerman alone, they still got through 175.
Worryingly, they will be facing a Reds side fresh from the bye and no longer constrained by the thought that one more slip-up could cost them a semi-final berth.
Yet again, the play-offs are a forlorn hope for the Reds and about all they have left to play for, aside from pride, is the scalp of another Australian team.
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