Stiles stays stable for do-or-die clash

For a coach that has been far from gun-shy at the selection table this year, Nick Stiles looks to have finally found his best XV.

He has made just one change to the starting XV that beat the Rebels two weeks ago and it was a forced one – Campbell Magnay failing to overcome a concussion – his third significant head knock in the last two years.

With Izaia Perese in Georgia for the World Rugby U20s Championships, Chris Kuridrani gets the nod in Magnay’s place on the right wing.

The other changes come on the bench.

James Tuttle comes back into the 23 ahead of Moses Sorovi, Maranta replaces Perese and Jake McIntyre comes in for Hamish Stewart, who is also in Georgia.

“I really feel now that the team has settled down and we’ve got some really good combinations,” Stiles said.

“The team has played relatively well over the last month.

“We’ve beaten the Kings and Rebels, everyone would probably say that we should have beaten the Tahs as well.

“In the last four games we could have had three wins.

“Now we have four games to go and there’s a lot to play for – both for here now and for the future of the organisation.”

The math for the Reds is simple.

Despite having only won one less game than the Australian Conference-leading Brumbies, ACT have notched seven bonus points – many of them in close losses – to Queensland’s four.

That puts the Reds seven points back, meaning a win on Friday night against the Force is non-negotiable.

If they lose and the Brumbies beat the Jaguares in Argentina, their season will be over.

The inverse of those results would put the Reds in prime position to put their noses in front in the final bounds of the season.

They travel to Samoa to face a Blues team due to play the British and Irish Lions four days later, before hosting the Brumbies upon returning from the June break.

That is then followed with a near-impossible final round task – a road trip to Dunedin to face the red hot Highlanders.

Stiles doesn’t want to look too far ahead but said his players were aware this was a do-or-die clash against a Force side that has had the Reds’ measure for many years.

The round two clash between these teams was one of Queensland’s worst performances of the year and a fuming Stiles labelled the performance as “atrocious” in the aftermath.

“I showed them the last few minutes of that game yesterday afternoon before we trained.

“It was a bit of a wake up call for the guys.

“For those of you that have seen training, you would have seen the intensity and the physicality through the boys’ efforts and that’s the most important thing – that we got right this week.

“The Reds over history, have rocked up at the game (against the Force) and felt like we would just win it.

“That’s not doing justice to the Western Force – they’re a competitive side, they’re desperate, they compete for everything and you have got to be as desperate as them.”

The Reds host the Force on Friday night, kicking off at 7:45pm AEST LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via radio on RUGBY.com.au.

TEAM

IN: Chris Kuridrani, Lachlan Maranta, James Tuttle, Jake McIntyre

OUT: Campbell Magnay (concussion), Izaia Perese (U20s), Hamish Stewart (U20s), Moses Sorovi

1. Sef Fa’agase

2. Stephen Moore

3. Sam Talakai

4. Rob Simmons

5. Lukhan Tui

6. Hendrik Tui

7. George Smith

8. Scott Higginbotham

9. Nick Frisby

10. Quade Cooper

11. Eto Nabuli

12. Duncan Paia’aua

13. Samu Kerevi (C)

14. Chris Kuridrani

15. Karmichael Hunt

Reserves

16. Alex Mafi 

17. Kirwan Sanday

18. Taniela Tupou

19. Izack Rodda

20. Adam Korczyk

21. James Tuttle

22. Jake McIntyre

23. Lachlan Maranta

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