Call for no more Reds faces
GEORGE Smith has called for the first “full, complete effort” of the season as a response to the Reds’ most embarrassing tumble of the season against the Brumbies.
The decorated flanker said rebounding against his former club at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night should be ample motivation even though dreams of the Super Rugby finals were long gone.
The Reds were awful in the second half on the April 8 visit to Canberra when they were pumped 33-0 after going to the break at 10-10.
“We were humbled down there ... we didn’t play well in the second half and got punished by a Brumbies side which did execute really well,” Smith said. “For us, Friday night has to be about a full, complete effort and being able to close out a game in the final 20 minutes in front of fans who have stood by us.”
The Reds returned to training at Ballymore yesterday with Chris Feauai-Sautia and Campbell Magnay both putting their hands up to play at outside centre.
Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi confirmed he would not be fit for the clash with a cautious approach being taken to his return from an ankle injury.
Magnay returned to training to tick the final box on his availability after a concussion. He has played fewer than three hours of rugby all season.