Reds gain experience with Lucas

UTILITY back Ben Lucas is to be snapped up for a second stint at the Queensland Reds to help fill the void left by Quade Cooper and Karmichael Hunt.

Adding an old head to the flyhalf and fullback depth is a wise move when the club has leaked so much experience.

His appearance last night at Ballymore training, in front of Reds members, was all but confirmation just weeks after finishing up with the Toyota Verblitz club in Japan.

Lucas is now 30 but his brand of rugby will have only been improved by two seasons with French club Montpellier and another two in Japan’s Top League.

He still has seven seasons and 74 games of Reds rugby in the blood from 2008-14 to give guidance to six players aged 22 or younger in the Reds squad.

The Reds first sounded out Lucas in September, well before Cooper found himself on the outer and Hunt was charged on two counts of alleged drug possession.

Lucas being a sharp kicker in general play also improves one of the major shortcomings of the 2017 Reds.