WARATAHS winger Lote Tuqiri has challenged the Reds to continue playing as the self-proclaimed entertainers of Super 14, believing that if they do they won't have the gas to go the full season, let alone beat NSW tomorrow night.
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There was a sting in Tuqiri's comments when he responded to claims this week by young gun Reds five-eighth Quade Cooper that the Waratahs play "a simple, boring style" while Queensland are "really exciting".
Speaking yesterday at the Sydney Football Stadium, where the Waratahs and Reds will play their top-billing derby, Tuqiri warned the 20-year-old Cooper that he will have to match his words with actions tomorrow night.
"It's good with the chat and everything else, but it's what you do out on the field," Tuqiri said.
"I know I would rather be entertaining the crowd come Super 14 semi-final time rather than entertaining friends at an end-of-season barbecue. So we will see where that puts them at the end of the year. But I know where I would rather be at this time of year. We have a shot of building into the season and hopefully getting a semi-final spot."
Tuqiri said the Super 14 ladder clearly showed which team was dominant - after three rounds the Waratahs are second with 14 points after three wins, while the Reds are ninth with six points after one win.
The passion of the winger's words was matched by his No.10 teammate, Kurtley Beale, Cooper's nemesis since they played each other at state representative schoolboy level.
"They can be the entertainers but they have lost two," Beale said. "We might play some boring rugby, but it's good to get the three wins plus two bonus point wins. A lot of people can come out and say we play a pretty boring type of game, but we are only just getting started, mate."
Beale will relish his head-to-head clash with Cooper, who beat him for a spot on the Wallabies tour last year. "It will be a very exciting battle," Beale said. "I can't wait."
The Reds have made two changes to the side that beat the Cheetahs. Charlie Fetoai returns to No.13 from a shoulder injury and Dayna Edwards replaces Laurie Weeks as No.3.