Travel code Red
Long haul for Queenslanders
TO win their first Super Rugby title since 2011, the Queensland Reds will not only have to beat the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night but also overcome a daunting travel schedule.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, away teams have had to travel on the day of their matches during the Super Rugby AU season, and there is no exception for the grand final.
The Reds will arrive at their Ballymore base at 10.45am on Saturday before embarking on a grand final journey of more than 15 hours that will culminate at 2am the next day.
In contrast, the Brumbies will be extremely fresh, not needing to travel and having had last weekend off.
“I don’t want to make any excuses but it is tough to do the fly in, fly out,” Reds flyhalf James O’Connor said.
“But then you feel for teams like the (Melbourne) Rebels and the Western Force who have been away from home for so long.
“It’s not hard to get up for a grand final. Guys have an extra skip in their step, and we know the job we have to do.
“We’ve got the game plan ready to go, it’s been very seamless coming in … so we can go down there, not even have to think (and) just run on.”
The Reds will spend an hour at Ballymore on Saturday before taking a bus ride to Brisbane airport, where they will leave on a Qantas chartered Q-400 small propeller plane at 12.45pm.
They land at 3pm at Canberra Airport. From there they will head to Australian Institute of Sport headquarters, next to the grand final venue, GIO Stadium.
At the AIS, the Reds squad will stretch, eat and perhaps sleep before making their way to the stadium for 7.20pm.
If all goes to schedule and there is no extra-time in the decider, the Reds will leave the stadium for Canberra Airport at 10pm.
Their chartered flight is scheduled to leave Canberra an hour later for a Sunday, 1.15am arrival at Brisbane Airport.
From there, the Reds will gather their luggage, board the bus and travel back to Ballymore for an expected 2am arrival.
Coach Brad Thorn vowed the Reds would not be fazed by the demanding schedule.
“You just have to be prepared for whatever it is, that’s what it is,” said Thorn, whose Reds side has failed to win outside of Queensland during the Super Rugby AU season.
“Either way (win or lose), I’d say it’ll be a pretty rowdy plane trip home.”