The Reds brutal 14-22 loss to the Brumbies could have a bigger impact than initially thought as half of their backline is in doubt for their match against the Force.
Backs Anthony Faingaa (hamstring) and Ben Lucas (knee) are in doubt for the rest of the tournament and winger Digby Ioane will miss at least a week after being knocked out cold at Suncorp Stadium.
Defensive rock Faingaa is the Reds biggest concern after he suffered a grade two hamstring strain which is expected to keep him out of Super Rugby for a month and he is in a fitness race for the final on July the 9th in case the Reds make the final.
Tryscorer and fullback Lucas damaged his medial cruciate ligament and is looking at three to four weeks on the side lines.
The pair had such dedication for the Reds cause they both played through the pain barrier and Faingaa played the entire last 15 minutes in “excruciating pain” – even pulling off a rib-rattling cover tackle on Nic White.
The former Brumbies centre still has hope that he will return for the play offs but was unsure if he did further damage to his hamstring by playing as the Reds attempted to bounce back in the match.
“I wasn’t coming off, there was no way I was coming off,” Faingaa told AAP. “You do whatever it takes to win.
“I’d seen a couple of boys go down and kept going and didn’t realise how bad it was until the end of the game.”
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie rates Faingaa one of the best body-on-the-line players he has ever coached and praised the four-Test centre for his bravery.
“You can’t say enough about his character and that’s what really defines people and with his character you can’t say a bad word about Anthony,” McKenzie said.
Quade Cooper and Will Genia pull the strings for the Reds but Faingaa and Lucas are key backline defenders as they position themselves in the 10-12 channel – and are almost irreplaceable.
Compounding McKenzie’s problems is that Mike Harris who has provided cover at inside centre and fullback is a week away from returning after undergoing knee surgery.
The Reds had been fortunate with injuries through the first half of the tournament but the injury list is growing and includes the likes of influential flanker Beau Robinson and wingers Peter Hynes and Rod Davies.
Winger Davies is running again after knee surgery and could soften the blow of losing Ioane and Luke Morahan can provide cover at fullback in Lucas’s absence but McKenzie admits that he will have to be creative with the other backline selections.
McKenzie is however staying positive and maintaining focus. .
“That’s what happens, it is what it is. We’ll just soldier on,” he said.
“It’s disappointing but every team has injuries and experiences challenges at this late stage of the season,” added McKenzie.
“We’ll continue to move forward and as has been the case all season, it’s now an opportunity for someone to take advantage of the chance they’ll be given.”