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Liam Wright backs call for radical super time shake-up following last week's conservative bore draw
By AAP
Queensland Reds skipper Liam Wright has backed calls by his Rebels opposite Matt Toomua for changes to decide Super Rugby AU extra-time. The two Australian teams played in the competition’s first-ever super time last Saturday night in Sydney after being locked at 18-all at the end of regular time.
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But ten minutes extra-time was more a fizzer than anything super, with both sides playing conservatively as they did their best not to give away a penalty, and neither could add a winning point.
Ahead of a third-round clash with the Western Force in Brisbane on Friday, Wright said he backed Melbourne captain Toomua’s idea for the first team to score a try being declared the victor.
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“It was a bit of a battle of who could not make a mistake instead of trying to play real decisive attacking footy,” Wright said on Tuesday. “Especially entering the side of the attacking ruck, so why would you play in your half?
“There’s just not a real reward for playing in your half, which is part of what it was, so scoring a try to win could be a good change.”
The two sides were booed off the park by sections of the Brookvale Oval crowd after neither were able to nail victory. Reds full-back Bryce Hegarty narrowly missed a monster penalty goal effort from halfway on the stroke of super time half-time.
While happy with the Reds’ unbeaten start to the new domestic competition Wright said there was plenty of room for improvement, particularly in the set-piece. He said his team’s lineout needed work ahead of their Force clash.
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“We haven’t been too happy with them in the last two weeks,” Wright said. “We ended up losing about five on the trot against the Rebels so that’s something we’re trying to clear up this week.
“It was obviously tough conditions but we need to be a lot better in that regard.”
