DURBAN - The Sharks are anticipating a frenzied battle in Brisbane on Friday against a reinvented Reds team.
The Queenslanders finished in 13 place in both 2014 and 2015 and were 15th last year. They have been a on a major recruitment drive that will result in them fielding eight current Wallabies against the Sharks.
Speaking from the Sharks’ hotel in Brisbane, backline coach Sean Everitt said his side was expecting a “total onslaught” from the home side, who are now coached by Nick Stiles.
“They have a transformed squad, headed by a born-and-bred Brisbane man in Stephen Moore (the current Wallabies captain), who has returned home from the Brumbies,” Everitt said.
“Obviously they also have (loose forwards) George Smith and Scott Higganbotham back in Brisbane but as a backline coach the player I have identified as being a major threat is centre Samu Kerevi.”
The 23-year-old Fijian is a midfield giant at 108kg and 1.86m and made his debut for the Wallabies last year. Much of the Reds’ backline play will centre around the slick Quade Cooper trying to put heavyweight Kerevi into position to bulldoze over the advantage line.
“We know how clever Cooper can be, and he has a new scrumhalf partner in Nick Frisby (succeeding Will Genia), who has a beautiful pass, so we have to get up quickly on defence (to shut down Cooper and Kerevi),” Everitt said.
“There is also a big threat at fullback in Karmichael Hunt (a big name in Australian sport after stellar careers both in Rugby League and Aussie Rules).”