Qld Reds lose injured Gill for six weeks

AAP
March 27, 2014, 7:24 am


The Queensland Reds' Super Rugby hopes have been dealt a big blow with Wallaby flanker Liam Gill and exciting fullback Aidan Toua ruled out for extended periods.

Following scans, the Reds have learned Gill (hamstring) will be out of action for six weeks and Toua (pectoral) for 10 weeks.

Their absence is in addition to centre Chris Feauai-Sautia (hamstring), who will miss three weeks, and prop Ben Daley (knee), who will miss six weeks.

The experienced Beau Robinson will make his first start of the season in place of Gill in Saturday's home match against the Stormers, where the Reds will attempt to get their season back on track after two losses in South Africa.

Lachie Turner shifts takes over at fullback, with Dom Shipperly replacing him on the wing, while James Hanson comes in at hooker ahead of Saia Fainga'a in the only other change to the starting side.

Red coach Richard Graham said the team needed little motivation.

"Our trip to South Africa was tough," said Graham. "We didn't get the results we wanted and suffered four injuries, but we've returned home with a desire to get our season heading in the right direction.

"With the next three games at home, we're going to enjoy the opportunity to play in front of our own supporters."

Graham also addressed the team's recent spate of penalties, which makes them the most penalised team in the competition.

"Four of the Australian franchises (Waratahs, Brumbies, Force, Reds) sit atop the Super Rugby penalty count," Graham said.

"It gives a strong indication of the mentality the Australian teams are taking, particularly at the defensive breakdown.

"Whilst we have conceded penalties in this area, we have also forced the most turnovers, averaging eight per game, and also forced opposition teams to play with the second slowest breakdown ball.

"We continue to work on the skill and the decision making but it is risk versus reward.

Graham said the issue needed to be looked at in greater depth.

"If anything, we were probably guilty of being a little ambitious at times in counter attack or the wider channels," he said.

"We have put a fair bit of time into our attacking framework and we only conceded one penalty in attack on the weekend.

"We have gained a reputation on the back of the two games in South Africa.

"We need to continue improving to ensure perception isn't reality."

Queensland Reds: Lachie Turner, Rod Davies, Ben Tapuai, Mike Harris, Dom Shipperley, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Jake Schatz, Beau Robinson, Eddie Quirk, James Horwill (capt), Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, James Hanson, James Slipper. Res: Saia Fainga'a, Albert Anae, Jono Owen, Ed O'Donoghue, Curtis Browning, Nick Frisby, Anthony Fainga'a, Ben Lucas.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...for-six-weeks/


With all these backrow injuries I guess we should see a few Force boys in gold this year :approve:

Should being the operative word TIF.

Tell you what, if Cheese doesn't get a Wallaby call up this season as well I'll be ropeable!!

Right now i would have

McCalman
Hodgson
Charles
Godwin
Cummins

in the wallabies squad and have Cottrell as a bolter to make it as the last backrower.

The fact that Faingaa beats my mum out of a Wallaby contract is laughable!

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Originally Posted by GIGS20

The fact that Faingaa beats my mum out of a Wallaby contract is laughable!

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So your Mum is Hoo....ah don't worry about it ;)

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Originally Posted by The InnFORCEr

So your Mum is Hoo....ah don't worry about it ;)

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Oh my god!!, I'm glad she doesn't read this :embarrassed:

I wonder what it would take for Pek Cowan to get a call up. I guess it depends on where Ewen sees James Slipper playing.

It is interesting that the Force have not had the early season injuries that have plagued previous seasons. Hopefully this is down to Coach Foley's training and player management techniques. The Reds have had a terrible injury toll and plonker Graham will use this as his excuse if the Reds don't perform.

Bad news for Australia, good news for the Force. A tired, injury depleted Reds outfit will face off against a rested, confidence Force side.

We are actually pretty fortunate in our next block of four games. The Waratahs will be in Perth on their way back from a bruising tour of South Africa. The Bulls will be in Perth in the final game of a tough four game tour. The Rebels should also be pretty battle weary since they haven't had a bye since the first round including Aussie teams.

If things go well for us, we could be sitting pretty by the time the second bye comes around.

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Originally Posted by Kept One

It is interesting that the Force have not had the early season injuries that have plagued previous seasons. Hopefully this is down to Coach Foley's training and player management techniques. The Reds have had a terrible injury toll and plonker Graham will use this as his excuse if the Reds don't perform.

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Injuries come and go, but it's true the Force have had more than their share of seasons cruelled by injuries. I bet if you look back over the list of recent flag winners, they have all had good runs with injury. That being said, I do think that rugby has a special kind of luck, the harder you work, the luckier you get.

I don't think it's insignificant that this year we seem to be having a pretty good run with injury and getting the bounce of the ball going our way (says GIGS instantly giving the season the kiss of death, sorry guys!)

A little faith goes a long way too. Every week is a crunch game when you are in the hunt. Roll on Saturday week put a gap in the Reds and catch up to the Tahs.

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Originally Posted by GIGS20

Injuries come and go, but it's true the Force have had more than their share of seasons cruelled by injuries. I bet if you look back over the list of recent flag winners, they have all had good runs with injury. That being said, I do think that rugby has a special kind of luck, the harder you work, the luckier you get.

I don't think it's insignificant that this year we seem to be having a pretty good run with injury and getting the bounce of the ball going our way (says GIGS instantly giving the season the kiss of death, sorry guys!)

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1st paragraph - I reckon you'd probably be right about winners having had fewer injuries. The Chiefs have had a few more injuries this year and they look much more ragged than normal.

2nd paragraph - we've had a few injuries this year: Madness (twice!) and Alcock, and (IIRC) Keiran, Charles and Stander have all been injured in trials/matches, but we've got much more depth to cover injuries this year. In the past we've always worried about a serious injury to a starter and sometimes been lucky with the bench player stepping up (both Charles and Tessman, for example; neither were considered ready when they first came on) but we've never had the luxury of some teams in whistling up a Super Rugby veteran from the bench for every position.

This year is probably the first we've got close to that with benches which can contain Tessman, Faulkner, Battye, Alcock, Prior, Holmes, Dellit & Haylett-Petty, who aren't starting but all of whom are into double digits for Super Rugby games.

True, but Madness is the only starter who has lost appreciable game time (and ironically the one I thought we couldn't replace) with Cheese and Kieren missing bits n pieces and Chris being on the fringe, rather than a guaranteed start.

The other point about depth is very true though. Coleman has stepped up big time, along with Wykes (who would have thought that would happen?) and the backrow (probably because of competition for spots) has barely noticed the loss of a very good flanker in Alcock.

Importantly, or Backline stocks has been virtually untouched, and I still think we'd struggle to replace
* anybody in our back three
* Sias (surprisingly, but based upon the evidence, Zack needs some work)
* Alby (nothing against Ian Prior, you just don't replace an Alby Matthewson easily)
* Kyle, he's not being flashy this year, but look at the grunt work he's doing making everybody around him look awesome. He is a real leader in that backline, and he's proving to be so much of a handful for opposition defenses that gaps are opening up all over the park in response.

POI just realized that leaves Junior....Im not questioning his selection anymore, but I reckon we can cover him OK