Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Wallabies great David Wilson has seen many openside flankers fight to clinch the job he held for nine years, but believes it is only a matter of time before Fraser McReight enters the conversation as Australia’s best.
When McReight leads the Queensland Reds into their quarterfinal clash with the Chiefs on Saturday, he will join illustrious company as only the third No.7 to reach 100 games for the club – putting him alongside Wilson and David Croft.
Wilson made his name as a formidable force in Australia’s back row, managing 79 Tests between 1992 and 2000 – winning five Bledisloe Cups, a Tri Nations series and the 1999 World Cup.
He told this masthead it took a “different breed” to succeed in the modern era, and believed it was McReight’s ability to withstand such physical attention that had him on a collision course with greatness.
“He’s getting there – to separate him from the likes of Michael Hooper, David Pocock, George Smith, who are three of the world-class legends of Australian rugby in that position, even Phil Waugh, it’s time will tell. His career still has a long way to go, but he will definitely be in the conversation,” Wilson said.
“To reach that milestone of 100 games for the Reds is a phenomenal achievement, and to do it in the No.7 jersey in the modern era – it takes a different breed. Every week you’re targeted at the breakdown. Back when I played, it was a little bit looser, the collisions weren’t as physical at the breakdown.
“Teams are holding the ball phase after phase, it’s not as kick and set piece orientated, and because there are so many phases and opportunities at the breakdown, the physicality of the seven who gets there is getting cleaned out and hit every time he’s over the ball.
“To be able to withstand that and be durable enough to do that hit after hit, week after week, you’ve got to be a good athlete. He’s obviously extremely mentally tough.”
McReight had been linked to an overseas move last year, but while Wilson believed the 27-year-old would have been “sought after anywhere in the northern hemisphere”, he inked a three-year contract extension.
That led to his appointment as Reds captain, earning the mantle over Tate McDermott and Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson.
“It’s not every day you get to enjoy your job as much as I do,” McReight said, when asked what kept him tied at home for so long.
“I’m here with a really good group of mates, and over the past few years … I’ve really grown my game.
“I love playing for Queensland; I’m a Queenslander, I supported the Reds and I get to play for Australia, and that’s the main reason. I love both teams, and more specifically, playing in Super Rugby against Kiwis – they’ve been the benchmark of international and Super Rugby over the past 30 years.”
Queensland will be desperate to ensure coach Les Kiss’ tenure extends before he takes the Wallabies reins in August. For McReight, there are no better circumstances to bring up his century, and he will seek to end the “hoodoo” of no Australian side winning a Super Rugby final on New Zealand soil.
The Reds have lost four-straight quarterfinals across the ditch, including against the Chiefs in 2024, but have managed to secure season wins in the country against the Crusaders, Chiefs and Highlanders in that time.
“They believe it’s a brand-new season – which it is,” McReight said. “It’s do-or-die football, and everything is at a higher intensity.
“What we’ve learned the past two years, we sort of got dominated – physically, they really stepped it up. We played them mid-season both those years, we had a really close game those years, and I think maybe we were expecting that was going to happen again, and it definitely didn’t.
“It’s different every year because you have more experience. We have a good group of men who like to work hard for each other and trust each other. I’m not saying we haven’t in the past few years, but you can’t look back.”
The Reds will be missing strike centre Hunter Paisami with a knee injury, who will be replaced by Filipo Daugunu in the No.12 jumper, and Seru Uru with a back concern.
“They are the underdogs, but Queenslanders like being the underdog, no matter what sport it is,” Wilson said.
“The Reds have shown they have travelled and had success while travelling overseas, so going in as underdogs they’ve got nothing to lose. Fraser is a guy who has now proven he leads from the front, and they will be expecting a really big game from him.”
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