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Wallaby flanker McReight ready to push All Black captain Sam Cane
By AAP
Fraser McReight says he’s committed to Australian rugby as the Queensland Reds flanker continues to ram home his case for more Test chances.
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Stuck behind Wallabies captain Michael Hooper in the pecking order, the ball-stealing, playmaking McReight has been devastating for the Reds this Super Rugby Pacific season.
The form has come after the 23-year-old, who has made two brief appearances for the Wallabies off the bench, wasn’t selected for last year’s Spring Tour.
Instead, the man who skippered the under-20 Wallabies to the 2019 World Cup final was allowed a full pre-season to aid development and contribute to the form he’s currently showing.
He again led the way with a game-high three pilfers, 16 tackles and a line-break as they stormed to a 17-0 lead over the Hurricanes on Friday, only to blow it in a 30-17 loss.
A three-Test home series in July against England presents as McReight’s next chance for a Wallabies berth, with this Friday’s clash against Chiefs and All Blacks captain Sam Cane an ideal audition.
“I’ve made it clear I want to play for the Wallabies, it’s what I want to do,” he said in response to suggestions he was frustrated by his lack of Test opportunities and considering overseas options.
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“Everyone knows that who’s involved; it’s not like I don’t want to be here, I definitely do, it’s about pushing my case.
“Dave (Rennie) and the coaches, they want (to be making) a tough decision and I’ve been doing that on my end (by playing well) and hopefully I’ll get some more minutes.”
McReight admitted his battle with Cane would be timely given he’s missed the chance to duel with Hooper, who has only recently returned from his stint in Japanese rugby.
But he said their personal duel wasn’t the priority as the Reds looked to turn last weekend’s missed opportunity into a positive.
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“We can take a lot of confidence from that first half; we took it to the Kiwis in defence and attack,” he said.
“Game management, little crucial errors and key moments we lost either side of halftime.
“We wanted to play a bit of footy, which we did. But we wanted to win, which we didn’t.
“We don’t want to beat ourselves; if they’re better on the day congrats to them, but we can’t beat ourselves.”
