Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Reds prop Aidan Ross won’t let sentiment get in the way of helping Queensland end its Super Rugby Pacific finals hoodoo by beating the Chiefs, his former club, in Hamilton on Saturday.
For the fifth successive season, the Reds have reached a qualifying final on New Zealand soil, but they are yet to progress to the second week of finals since in the inception of Super Rugby’s latest incarnation in 2022.
Two of the Reds’ four qualifying finals losses have been at Saturday’s match venue – FMG Stadium – against the Chiefs during Ross’ 101-game stint with the Kiwi outfit.
“I built some awesome connections with quite a few of those boys in that (Chiefs) team over the past 10 years, but that’s that,” said the 30-year-old front-rower, who joined Queensland ahead of the 2026 season.
“I’ll be wearing a Reds jersey, and I’ll be bloody proud to wear a Reds jersey (on Saturday) night, and do what I can for the team to get the job done.
“I’ve been a part of some pretty awesome wins where we’ve been heavy underdogs. You can still get the job done. You just need to find a way.
“The pressure’s on them. We’ll just go to do our thing.”
Ross said the Reds also needed to do the “simple things” well to have any hope of winning.
“There’s a very good chance that it’ll be very slippery out there, so you need to turn the screws up even more on just the simple things and doing them well,” he said.
“Carry, clean, catch, pass … just the real simple things of the game done well over and over again.”
A toe injury prevented Ross from playing in Queensland’s 31-21 loss to the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium last month.
“I’m feeling good. The toe had a few weeks off, which was nice, to freshen it up. It’s nothing that a bit of strapping tape can’t fix.” he said.
A Reds win on Saturday would also be the ideal way to celebrate captain Fraser McReight’s 100th appearance for Queensland.
“He’s class,” Ross said of Wallabies flanker McReight.
“On the field people see how good of a player he is, the amount of turnovers he gets, and his unseen efforts sets him apart.
“As a person off the field, and especially for me as a new member coming into the team, he’s been really welcoming. He’s really easy to have a conversation with (and) always checks in.
“He’s a top guy. He’s a really classy player and man off the field.”
