Reds v Crusaders: Teams
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has admitted he is disappointed that his side are not considered favourites for the Super Rugby title.
Last Updated: 09/07/11 5:39pm
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has admitted he is disappointed that his side are not considered favourites for the Super Rugby title.
The Reds going into Saturday's final against the Crusaders with home advantage and having finished the regular season top of the pile.
However with the Queenslanders making their first appearance in the final, the seven-time champions from Canterbury have the backing of the bookies.
And although McKenzie knows his side will have to raise their game to stop the Crusaders, he feels they deserve to be considered as the favourites.
"I find it disappointing we're not favorites going into this game," McKenzie said.
"We don't want to be the underdog going into a final. People want to grab the underdog status, we don't.
"You're playing against the most experienced team so you have to get everything right.
"We know for the previous game (against the Crusaders, won 17-16 by the Reds) they stressed us in certain situations and we created pressure on them. We shaded them in the end but there wasn't much in it.
"Being a final you have to make sure you get it right. They'll feel they're finding form and peaking."
Sublime
Victory for the Crusaders would see coach Todd Blackadder become the first man to win a Super rugby championship as a player and coach.
However he knows his side will have to cope with the "sublime" skills of Reds fly-half Quade Cooper.
"Not just last week in the semi-final but all season, I take my hat off to Will Genia and Quade Cooper," Blackadder said.
"Week in, week out, they haven't been rotated, they have fronted for the Reds and the team has played some brilliant rugby this year.
"Quade did things last week in that semifinal that were just unbelievable. He's certainly going to be a real handful for us."
Both the Reds and the Crusaders will go into the game with unchanged sides following their semi-final victories.
Reds: 15 Jono Lance, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Anthony Faingaa, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Radike Samo, 7 Beau Robinson, 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Ben Daley.
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Guy Shepherdson, 18 Adam Wallace-Harrison, 19 Jake Schatz, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Will Chambers.
Crusaders: 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis/Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Luke Romano/Chris Jack, 19 Matt Todd, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i/Willi Heinz, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Ryan Crotty.