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One-Test 22-year-old named Reds captain for 2020

Reds' Liam Wright is tackled against the Bulls. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

He’s only 22, but new Queensland Reds captain Liam Wright has the smarts, skill and respect to lead his team back to the Super Rugby finals, says coach Brad Thorn.

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The one-Test Wallabies flanker is the surprise successor to departed skipper Samu Kerevi, edging out lock Izack Rodda, himself only 23.

Wright, who made his Test debut in the Eden Park Bledisloe clash last year, has captaincy experience under Thorn with both the Queensland under-20s and Queensland Country.

“It’s actions first; he walks the walk and when he speaks people listen,” Thorn said.

“He’s not a quiet guy, but he’s articulate and has good composure.

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“He’s a fine young man but I’m pleased that it was a hard decision…. It’s a young group that’s growing and there’s many guys showing good leadership.”

Wright will lead a side with just one player – recruit Henry Speight – aged over 30 but Wright says there will be no excuses as the Reds seek a first finals appearance since 2013.

“Big time, that’s what we’ve been working towards,” Wright said.

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“We’ve had a few years where we’ve been in that rebuilding process so we want to start making our mark on this competition now.”

Gun trio Kerevi, Scott Higginbotham and Sefa Naivalu have left for overseas clubs but Wallabies comeback player James O’Connor and veteran Brumbies winger Speight have been added to plug those backline holes.

Emerging back Jordan Petaia lasted just one full game before a foot injury last season while prop Taniela Tupou is locked into a new long-term deal as the Reds seek their first finals appearance since 2013.

– AAP

RugbyPass got up close and personal with the Barbarians in November:

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Flankly 1 hour ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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