Reds head coach Richard Graham has named his team to play the Brumbies in their Super Rugby opener against the Brumbies with Quade Cooper at No 10 and Aidan Toua at No 15.
Cooper was in doubt for the match but was given the all clear earlier this week and will start in Canberra.
In his first Super Rugby match since the Reds vs Hurricanes in March last year, Aidan Toua will start in the Reds’ fullback jersey.
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With 5 Super Rugby appearances for the Reds in 2 seasons, Toua enjoyed a strong pre-season and is ready to add to his experience at this level.
The match will also feature former Waratahs flyer Lachie Turner playing his first Super Rugby game for the Reds, after staking his claim with solid performances at wing and fullback in the pre-season.
Coach Graham said he was pleased with the work of his squad in the lead up to the opening round.
“We are glad this time has arrived. We’ve had more than four months of pre-season training,” Graham said.
“The entire squad has worked hard to prepare for the season and as a consequence there is a lot of competition for spots within our squad.”
Graham said the team was looking forward to the clash and he expected the Brumbies will continue to play to their strengths.
“The Brumbies are a team that play strong field position, maul well, squeeze teams defensively and look to accumulate points when they’re on offer,” he said.
“Traditionally the early rounds of Super Rugby tend to be highly physical encounters. Add to that the fact it is a derby and you can expect a fairly bruising opening round of the Australian conference.
“After playing the Chiefs and Rebels in our pre-season games, we feel we are well prepared for this weekend.”
Reds: 15 Aidan Toua, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Mike Harris, 11 Dom Shipperley, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Liam Gill, 6 Eddie Quirk, 5 James Horwill (Captain), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Saia Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Ben Daley, 18 Jono Owen, 19 Ed O’Donoghue, 20 Beau Robinson, 21 Nick Frisby, 22 Anthony Fainga’a, 23 Chris Feauai-Sautia.