Young prop Massimo De Lutiis has been named to make his starting debut for the Queensland Reds against Tonga in Nuku’alofa on Friday.
It’s a major honour for the 20-year-old, who gave a glimpse of his power when he bench pressed 202.5kg in April to lay a claim as Queensland’s strongest footballer in any code.
De Lutiis wisely knows the difference between gym strength and the technical and tactical strengths to scrummaging that he is still learning.
“This trip to Tonga is a great chance to put into action the skills I’ve been learning at training and playing for Easts in club footy,” De Lutiis said.
De Lutiis is already a major beneficiency of the Reds’ International Program. His two cameos for the Reds have come off the bench against Japan’s Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights and Wales.
“I was only on the field for a short time against Wales last Friday but the crowd atmosphere was fantastic and it really made you want to be a part of that match,” De Lutiis said.
Reds head coach Les Kiss has largely stuck to the same side which was edged 36-35 by Wales in a thrilling 11-try spectacle at Suncorp Stadium.
The elevation of new recruit Lachie Anderson to the wing is the only other change to the starting side.
Former Wallaby Feleti Kaitu’u is a new face on the bench as reserve hooker with Matt Faessler, Josh Nasser and George Blake unavailable.
Kaitu’u, 29, has been playing club rugby for GPS since finishing his contract at the Western Force. He faces a potential debut in this cap game for the Reds.
“The Welsh experience was unbelievable. While it really hurt to lose, it was a classic match with 23,000 fans supporting us,” Kiss said.
“The boys did a fantastic job. We had senior players like James O’Connor, Jock Campbell and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen step up for us against Wales but also young guys like Dre Pakeho, just 19 and playing for the first time as a Red.
“It’s Tonga this week and we’re really keen to continue the international exposure for our players and staff.
“The Tongan side will have a lot of quality players with size and explosiveness so you don’t go there and take your eye off the ball.”
The Reds have an ace up the sleeve in assistant coach Zane Hilton. He was assistant coach of Tonga at last year’s World Cup in France and his detail of rugby in the islands extends to preparing lineout jumpers for the sun’s glare over the grandstand for afternoon kick-offs like this one.
Kiss said a tour with both the Reds’ men’s and women’s teams facing the national sides of Tonga was an occasion to celebrate.
“PacificAus Sports do a lot of work to create these opportunities which advance both the players and coaches of the Pacific as well as our own,” Kiss said.
“It’s a great occasion for the Queensland girls to go on their first big trip. To have the teams integrated is fantastic.”
Australia’s PacificAus Sports program supports the Tonga tour.
PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high-performance coaching in Australia and internationally.
The program partners with Australian national sports organisations to support a range of Pacific sports, including rugby union. Funding is split evenly between women and men.
1. Sef Fa’agase – Sunnybank – Shailer Park State High School – Beaudesert Warriors
2. Richie Asiata – Easts – Anglican Church Grammar School
3. Massimo De Lutiis – Easts – The Southport School – Surfers Paradise Dolphins
4. Connor Vest – Souths - Grafton High School - Grafton Junior Rugby Club
5. Ryan Smith (vc) – Brothers – St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe – Caboolture Snakes
6. Seru Uru – Wests, Ratu Kadavulevu School, Fiji – Namoli Rugby Club, Fiji
7. John Bryant - Souths - St Laurence’s College - Souths
8. Joe Brial – University of Queensland – Scots College – Easts, Sydney
9. Louis Werchon - Wests – Sunshine Coast Grammar – Maroochydore Swans
10. James O’Connor - Brothers - St Joseph’s Nudgee College - Brothers
11. Mac Grealy – University of Queensland – Downlands College – Souths Toowoomba
12. Dre Pakeho – Brothers – Anglican Church Grammar School
13. Tim Ryan – Brothers – St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe
14. Lachie Anderson – Eastwood – Oakhill College – Dural Rugby Club
15. Jock Campbell (c) – University of Queensland – The Southport School – Inverell Highlanders
16. Feleti Kaitu’u** – GPS – St Joseph’s Nudgee College
17. Matt Gibbon – Bond University – St Joseph’s Nudgee College – Wollongbar Alstonville
Rugby Club
18. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen - Norths - Wellington College, NZ
19. Josh Canham – Bond University – Brighton Grammar, Melbourne - Harlequins, Melbourne
20. Taine Roiri – Sunnybank – John Paul College - Sunnybank
21. Will Cartwright – Brothers – St Joseph’s Nudgee College - Brothers
22. Mason Gordon – Wests – Brisbane Boys’ College - Wests
23. Floyd Aubrey - GPS - Marist College Ashgrove – GPS
Reds debut
** Potential Reds debut
