Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said there is nothing to stop the Reds clearing their "two wins in a row" challenge against the Blues at Ballymore on Saturday, provided they stick to their game plan and focus on reproducing the form they have shown so far this season.
The last time the Reds won on consecutive weekends was in April, 2006 when they beat the Cats 23-16 in Johannesburg and the Bulls 20-19 at Suncorp.
"I'm not sure why that has been the case but there's no actual impediment (to successive wins)," McKenzie told reporters today.
"If you get your training right; your get your mental state right; you get focused on the job; you get your strategy right and you pick the right team, there is nothing stopping you from performing well again.
"All I've been focusing on is making sure their (players) attention is fair and square on reproducing. We've demonstrated through the trials and in the games that we can front up physically. If we don't, then it's a state of mind.
"(But) one of the things I've been impressed with this group is that we have a plan and generally we make that plan happen. Some teams you see have a great game plan and they never seem to get it to happen."
While the Reds are based out of Brisbane and training at Ballymore, only three players in the current 31-man squad have played an Super Rugby match there.
Two of those players, hooker Sean Hardman and lock Van Humphries, return from injury and a week on the sideline for the clash, while Wallaby Peter Hynes has again been selected at fullback.
McKenzie has selected Hardman on the bench for the ‘Back to Ballymore' encounter, rewarding Saia Faingaa with his second starting jersey for the Reds while also ensuring the squad is strong from one to 22.
"You have got to have quality players on your bench and I've always looked at it as a 22-man effort to get a win," he said.
"I was happy with Sean the first game and I was happy with Saia the second game. In the end you make the hard decision on who starts the game but everyone's involved in the effort. It's better to have more players playing well than not."
The Reds also have many outside backs pushing for selection, although strong performances from Wallaby Digby Ioane and Rod Davies has seen them nail down the two wing spots.
Davies, who joined the Reds from the Brisbane Broncos at the end of 2008, has attributed his improvement to the offseason time he spent with McKenzie and Australian Under 20s coach David Nucifora.
"Last year after spending a couple of years in league I wasn't as comfortable and got caught out of position a fair few times. This year I've done the hard work off the paddock and doing the extras has really paid off," said Davies, who is thriving in the roving commission role expected of the team's wingers.
"At the Reds the wingers have free range. I find myself over the left side a fair bit," he said.
"That is different to league, so that's what I like about it. I can do what I want and go wherever. But I'm about 10 kilos lighter than Digby so I better watch who I run at," Davies joked.
While Davies has been dynamic in the opening two rounds, he understands the Blues wings pose a strong threat.
"Joe Rokocoko - his name obviously speaks for itself - but Rudi Wulf has been in some fine form this year, so I'll have my work set out on Saturday trying to mark him."
.jpg)
