Reds boast impressive recent record against NZ teams, but that was with Ewen McKenzie
Sam Bruce
FOX SPORTS
April 23, 2014 1:45PM
IT’S the outstanding record giving Reds players and fans alike hope they’re about to make a late-season charge to the Super Rugby playoffs.
The 2011 Super Rugby champions play their four matches against New Zealand sides over the next six weeks and after sweeping all four trans-Tasman clashes in 2013, it’s a fixture run that holds few fears.
That is until you consider one key factor – they no longer boast Ewen McKenzie as their head coach.
McKenzie made a habit of beating New Zealand sides in his four years at the Reds and finished with 15 wins from 20 games at a 75 per cent success rate.
But with McKenzie now busy at the Wallabies and Richard Graham calling the shots at the Reds, that outstanding record has lost a little of its gloss, particularly when Graham’s Kiwi history is inspected.
The former Western Force coach had just one victory against New Zealand opposition from six games in charge in Perth and before you point to the difference in playing rosters, Michael Foley has already managed four victories from six encounters with much of the same talent.
In fairness to Graham, he was part of the Reds setup last season, but it’s hard to see him having had too much influence on McKenzie’s game plan considering the astonishing success of the now-Wallabies coach.
But that hasn’t stopped Graham from trumpeting the Reds’ trans-Tasman record as he scrambles to instil some sort of confidence in a struggling side.
“The one thing about this group is they’ve embraced the games against the Kiwis over the last number of seasons,” Graham said earlier this week.
“And we got a very good record there last year where we won all four games against the Kiwi teams in the rounds.
“So we go there with a lot of confidence and in terms of our results so far we’re not a long way away.
“Three three-point losses and yeah, we’re refining a number of aspects of our game. But as I’ve stated a number of times I don’t think we need to change a great deal.”
So what does Graham do? Does he risk McKenzie’s New Zealand blueprint and hope this week’s opponents - the in-form Hurricanes – are expecting something different?
Or has he put his own spin on things in the hope Will Genia, Quade Cooper and co can pull it off?
Whatever the case the Reds’ season hangs on another run of Kiwi success, and so too may Graham’s coaching credentials.
It’s the perfect chance to move out from McKenzie’s shadow but he could so easily slip far deeper within it.
McKenzie v NZL Teams with Reds: 75% success rate
Blues P5, W4, L1.
Chiefs P4, W4.
Crusaders P5, W3, L2.
Highlanders P3, W3.
Hurricanes P3, W1, L2.
Total P20 W15 L5.
Graham v NZL Teams with Force: 16.7% success rate
Blues P1, D1.
Chiefs P1, L1.
Crusaders P1, L1.
Highlanders P1, W1.
Hurricanes P2, L2.
Total P6, W1, L4, D1.
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