Genia: We need to muscle-up
Reds and Wallabies scrumhalf, Will Genia has urged his players to muscle-up in the collision area against the Waratahs forward pack and not allow them to gather any momentum.
The Waratahs backline have in menacing form, all thanks to an ideal platform created for them to display their skills by their pack of forwards.
"They [Waratahs] like playing with two playmakers where they give the ball a bit of air and a bit of space. Having big forwards in the game, they rumble forward and supply good, quick ruck ball which allows guys like Kurtley the freedom and room to express themselves.
"So if we give them that momentum early on, he will definitely have a big impact on the game. It is up to us to muscle up in the collision area and hopefully it will minimise the impact of their forwards and, in turn, minimise the impact their backline will have on the game," he said.
Genia looks to have regained the form which saw him being the Wallabies first-choice scrumhalf and is looking forward to the Inter-state derby, rather than focusing on a personal battle with opposite number Nick Phipps.
"I enjoy the Inter-state battles more than the individual ones. As a scrumhalf, you very rarely come across one-on-one opportunities, it is more a case of how you can influence your team as far as managing them across the park. The biggest motivational factor is playing in a Queenslad-New South Wales derby.
"He [Nick Phipps] plays the way he plays and I play the way I play. We are completely different players. I certainly do not want to be like another player. Obviously there are guys I looked up to growing up, like Fourie du Preez and George Gregan, who you take bits and pieces from," he added.
The scrumhalf has describe Waratahs and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika as a good guy with a genuine personality and someone he gets easily gets along with but will be putting that aside for the time-being as, to him, Cheika is the "enemy"
"At this stage I do not see him as the Wallaby's coach, I see a blue jersey and he is part of that team and what that jersey represents. In essence, he is the enemy.
"He will happily take it on the chin and even said that to us, when we were on tour, that we will see him as the enemy," he stated.
Reds coach Richard Graham has added his voice to the on-going Mexican Standoff debacle.
"My personal opinion, it [not contesting a line-out maul] should not be allowed. The whole game is about a contest and the ref has too many things to look at [in the maul] but it would make things easier for him if every maul is a contest.
"I like the rolling maul as it adds skill to the game and I enjoy watching it, especially if the teams do it well. To assist the refs, the IRB should make everyone defend a rolling maul," he stated.
