The Queensland Reds have loaded up with a big starting pack and six forwards on the bench in a clear indication of where they plan to pressure the NSW Waratahs in Sunday's Super Rugby Under-16s grand final in Sydney.
Reds U16s Head Coach Welmar Du Plessis said his players were aiming for a strong start and putting the squeeze on in the set pieces to rattle the undefeated Waratahs out of their rhythm.
To that end, the underdogs from Queensland have switched 1.97m lock Fraser Boakes to blindside flanker where he played a fine game against the Western Force earlier in the tournament.
Denver Bradford and Nathan Van Huyssteen will be the tall timber at lock while flanker Charlie Grieves is back to add his industrious work from the bench.
Grieves returns from a head knock.
Up front, prop Jeremiah Kite will skipper the side with hooker Noah Gaffney and prop Moses Faleafa as his front-row partners.
Off the bench, the Reds are using the versatility of 110kg Mitch Wallis, employed at hooker earlier in the tournament but picked at loosehead prop for Sunday.
In the backs, goalkicking playmaker Charlie Meredith is back at flyhalf. The ball-playing ability of the side is there with inside centre James Smith and fullback Chilli Tonelli-Smith spending plenty of time at No.10 in their formative careers as well.
The Reds were punished for their poor start when the teams met earlier this month. The Waratahs raced to a 40-0 lead with their up-tempo style and capitalising on ragged Reds moments like an uncontrolled tap-back at the lineout, indecisive defence out wide and costly turnovers in that period.
The character of the Reds showed with four back-to-back tries, built in no small part by the fresh energy of the forwards coming off the bench. The Reds rallied to finish behind 54-45 at full-time.
"We got good value from a 6-2 bench that day. That's the way we'll go for the big one on Sunday," Du Plessis said.
"The Waratahs shocked us with their high-tempo footy and really moving the ball around to open that big lead when we last played.
"It was a poor start. That's the big area for us...start a lot better. We've picked a relatively big forward pack and we want to put pressure on them at scrum, maul and lineout time.
"The set piece has been a strength for us and we'll play to it. My experience is that big games are won or lost on defence and the set piece.
"We are using our versatility. Fraser played very well at flanker against the Force and Mitch is a very big, mobile unit. Charlie is a big body too."
QUEENSLAND REDS U16s vs NSW WARATAHS U16s
Knox Grammar School, Sydney
1pm AEST, Sunday, November 2
Live on Stan Sport and rugby.com.au YouTube
QUEENSLAND REDS U16s
1. Jeremiah Kite - Brisbane Boys College (c)
2. Noah Gaffney – Brisbane Grammar
3. Moses Faleafa - Brisbane Boys College
4. Nathan Van Huyssteen – Brisbane Boys College
5. Denver Bradford – Nudgee College
6. Fraser Boakes – Brisbane State High
7. Henry Willis – Brisbane State High
8. Dylan Goodwin – Nudgee College
9. Tristan Cook – Toowoomba Grammar
10. Charlie Meredith – Sunshine Coast Grammar
11. Will Robinson – The Southport School
12. James Smith – The Southport School (VC)
13. Sangwani Chinula – Brisbane Grammar
14. Mitch Durrheim – Brisbane State High
15. Chilli Tonelli-Smith – Nudgee College
Reserves
16. Xavier Hill – Nudgee College
17. Mitch Wallis – St Patricks College
18. Harry O’Hare – Nudgee College
19. Charlie Grieves – Nudgee College
20. Matti Gill – Brisbane State High
21. Ryker Smith – Noosa Dolphins
22. Harry Dowling – The Southport School
23. Seth Chapman – Toowoomba Grammar
