Stiles aims to paint town Red

Rudolph Jacobs

The Reds have targeted their two tour games against the Lions and the Jaguares to turn their Super Rugby season around.

After a good start, beating the Sharks 28-26, the Reds have lost the last two – 26-19 to the Force and 22-20 to the Crusaders – both games they could have pulled off.

It remains a tall order as the Lions at their Ellis Park home and the Jaguares in Buenos Aires remain two of the more difficult away venues.

“We have struggled on this tour in recent years,” admitted Reds coach Nick Stiles.

“But there is a genuine hunger and desire within this group to return home with something to show for our hard work,” Stiles said on his team’s website.

The Lions have returned from Buenos Aires having suffered their first defeat and will be without flanker Cyle Brink who was ruled out yesterday with a shoulder injury.

The only other concern is the shoulder niggle of prop Dylan Smith which saw him being replaced after half-time by Jacques van Rooyen. Smith will be further assessed.

Stiles though said one of their targets for the season had been not to be also-rans.

“The Crusaders loss was tough for everyone, but there was enough in our performance to be excited about what’s to come from this group, we’re not happy with being thereabouts,” Stiles said.

The match against the Lions will be the Reds’ first since 2015, which they lost 18-17 at Suncorp Stadium. The two sides have met 19 times in the history of Super Rugby with the Reds having beaten the Lions 13 times, lost just five and had one draw.

Meanwhile, Jaguares flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez has been banned for one week for foul play after his dangerous tackle on Anthony Volmink during his team’s 36-24 win against the Lions in Buenos Aires at the weekend.

Sanchez will miss the Jaguares match against the Cheetahs on Saturday.