Wright set for bruising start

LIAM Wright will begin his Queensland Reds captaincy sporting 17 stitches and a black eye thanks to two pre-season knees to the face, but he won’t be shying away from the action in the Super Rugby season opener in Canberra tonight.

Wright, 22, has vowed to keep putting his head “in some ugly places” in the Reds’ clash against the Brumbies.

The hosts will start as warm favourites, something Wright says is fair given their status as the only Australian outfit to make last season’s quarterfinals.

However, two impressive trial wins have filled coach Brad Thorn’s squad with confidence, despite the off-season departure of skipper Samu Kerevi to Japanese rugby and the fact the Reds haven’t played in the Super Rugby finals since 2013.

“They’re definitely the benchmark,” Wright said of the Brumbies, “but we’re not pitting ourselves against them, we’re pitting ourselves against ourselves.

“We got lots of good goforward last year but we’re trying to play a more expansive game without him (Kerevi).”

Isaac Lucas will wear the No.10 in a new-look backline that also features the creativity of James O’Connor and Jordan Petaia in the centres.

But Wright thinks the key tonight will be the Reds’ bigger men, with the side having held firm in that department against the Waratahs in a trial game last Friday in Dalby.

Backrower Wright did his bit with a try despite two separate, heavy knocks leaving him bloodied and bruised.

He doesn’t expect any sympathy from a Brumbies outfit that prides itself on its scrum and rolling maul.

“We want to combat that and go at them with our own,” Wright said.

“At the end of the day, at No.7 you put your head in some ugly places, so we’ll see how it holds up.”

The Reds will head straight to South Africa and then Argentina after their Canberra opener, as part of an arduous tour to begin their season.

“It’s good for a young team, there’s a lot of enthusiasm around it because a lot of the guys haven’t been on a trip like this before,” Wright said.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, but we’re going there to win Super Rugby matches.”