Wallaby winger Peter Hynes to start at fullback in Reds' Super 14 opener
Wallaby winger Peter Hynes to start at fullback in Reds' Super 14 opener
By Jim Tucker
February 04, 2009 AUSTRALIA winger Peter Hynes is certain to switch to fullback for Queensland's Super 14 opener in hostile Pretoria, while recent league convert Mark McLinden remains on L-plates.
The move will be tested on Thursday night at Ballymore when Hynes wears the unfamiliar No.15 on his back in a full-on trial against Matt Giteau's Western Force.
It is a shrewd call to cope with the tough kicking exam posed by South Africa's Bulls on February 14 rather than any snub on McLinden's ability to blossom in rugby.
High-altitude Pretoria, where the ball flies further, is not the place to expose him as a first-timer with scratchy positional sense and a modest kicking game to get out of trouble.
Coach Phil Mooney said he was still experimenting with his back three as the Reds dealt with filling the void left by departed fullback Chris Latham.
McLinden will continue his education in the curtain-raiser for the Reds Academy against the Force Academy.
"Mark has ticked all the boxes so far but needs more footy to bring him along," Mooney said.
"It's best that both Hynsie and Mark get full games at fullback on the same day rather than have Mark sitting on the bench for the main game."
Equally, there is reward for Brando Va'aulu, stronger and more confident this year, in earning a wing chance.
The Reds need to make a statement of their intent for 2009 against the team from the west.
"We'll surprise a lot of teams. We're ready to put in a much better year and not let those chances for big scalps slip as they did in 2008," Hynes said of improving on 12th place.
Hynes is unfazed by being shifted from the wing, where he excelled in 13 Tests last year.
"The Wallabies for 2008 are over. I'm happy to play fullback if that suits the team but I'll let the coaches know if I'm not happy there as well," Hynes said.
"You get more ball at fullback, with a licence to run, so I'm keen to see how I go.
"Mark is a very good player. He has the speed and agility that a rugby fullback needs and he's working on a few things in the position that can only come with game time."
Hynes played some games at fullback for his old club, University, and has developed his left-foot kicking since former coach Eddie Jones experimented with him at flyhalf in late 2006.
The Reds are taking no risks with injury-prone forward Hugh McMeniman. He has been rested from the trial to top up his strength work for the Bulls clash.
"Because he came back late from the Wallaby tour, we're going to give him some extra weights work, because when we get to South Africa there will be no time to do this type of work," Mooney said.
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