Tate McDermott made such a huge difference for the Reds at half-back tonight v Western Force. Every time has the ball on hand, Tate has the the licence to thrill such as the quick tap & go as well as controlling the scrum, driving maul and everything in between in order to make the most out of his side’s attack. It’s not just his work rate & communication being top notch as always, but he has excellent mobility & kicking prowess to roam around the pitch too. He’s glad to stay in Ballymore for another few years through 2027 – the year when Australia gets to host another Rugby World Cup & glad he will get to learn the best from Eddie Jones.
Harry Wilson has also been excellent tonight at No.8 for the Reds. His physicality saw him smash barriers through the Western Force blocks every time the Reds build their attacking momentum. It gave his side time to find their way through the gate where not only the Reds dominated possession going forward, but also scored a couple of tries along the way. Plus, his height is such a huge factor too, particularly with the vision so Harry can also look for some support to his own players to finish off for him. He hopes tonight’s display is the start towards proving Wallabies coach Eddie Jones that he’s a hard worker all around.
And Zach Kibirige continues to make waves on the Western Force left wing position at No.11 with his back-to-back tries tonight v the Reds. He was blessed with the Force’s great start where Zach squeezed his way just inside the score zone thanks to No.2 Tom Horton on the far-right short side. Then he read a brilliant intercept later on off Tom Lynagh tried where he got the job done by himself with no one there to stop him through oozes of pace. But sadly, the Force just couldn’t stop the Reds’ possession that limited their attacking chances, even though their defense wasn’t bad while suffering ill-discipline at the same time.
