A Ballymore lift-off to 2024. The Queensland Reds will launch their 2024 campaign against the Western Force in the Saturday afternoon sun in the only Super Rugby-level clash at the ground this season.
The opening trial at 3pm will be a first chance for new coach Les Kiss to unveil the gains of a strenuous pre-season of fitness and rehearsing a new game plan.
The new McLean Stand will be humming for Reds’ fans eager for a glimpse at what to expect in Super Rugby Pacific as well as those supporters yet to experience the venue’s exciting redevelopment.
More than 40,000 fans, players, corporate guests and staff have embraced the new stand and the BMS National Rugby Training Centre since its opening last July.
“We have certainly put new things in place and we’ll be building on the strong foundations of the last few years,” coach Kiss said.
“There has been a strong buy-in from the players, who are really hungry to find out how good they can be.
“Having exposure to the full squad, including the returning Wallabies, for three weeks before Christmas gave us a really big insight into the group and that has continued.
“Not everyone will be totally happy when we come up with the first team this week but I think everyone will get a fair crack in Saturday’s trial and the one to follow against the NSW Waratahs (in Roma on February 10).”
With the excitement of a new season upon us, there are always questions to be answered and players to watch.
Where will the backline trump be utilised after playing wing, fullback and outside centre for the Reds and the Wallabies in 2023? Wherever he’s dominating with 15 runs and crunching cover tackles like he did at his best for the Reds in 2023 is one answer.
The Reds have beefed up their prop stocks for 2024 with former All Blacks props Alex Hodgman and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen. Nonggorr’s four-Test initiation as a Wallaby in 2023 has also given him a great platform to impose himself. He likely has a familiar front-row opponent first up with some minutes against Force recruit Harry Hoopert, the former Reds prop.
The young No.10 is just 19 but earned the trust of coach Kiss for a start against Japan’s Saitama-Panasonic Wild Knights last November at Ballymore. Not every flyhalf was available that day. Kiss has to judge the qualities of Tom Lynagh, Lawson Creighton, James O’Connor and McLaughlin-Phillips to settle on his first-choice playmaker this season.
The fit-again flanker and co-captain is an integral member of the backrow. While sidelined, he had a spell embedded in the coaching group with Kiss during the Challenger series and Wild Knights game late last year. Refreshed and motivated, he is a key standard-setter for the team.
The Force will be committed opposition as they bed down new recruits into their team.
Ben Donaldson, a World Cup figure at flyhalf and fullback, and No.8 Will Harris are both key recruits from the NSW Waratahs.
Tickets for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season go on sale to the general public tomorrow, February 1, at 10:00am AEST.
Queensland Reds v Western Force - Saturday, 3 February, Ballymore Stadium, 3pm AEST
Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs – Santos Festival of Rugby, 10 February, Gallas Fox Park, Roma, 7.40pm AEST
