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No rest for thriving Reds

Jim Morton 11/04/2011 06:15:52 PM Comments (0)

There's no rest for the jet-lagged Queensland Reds with Super Rugby's new pace-setters rushing back onto the training paddock on Tuesday as they eye a record winning streak by beating the defending champion Bulls.

The Reds flew back into Brisbane from South Africa on Monday night, not only tired from the long-haul flight but also weary after an exceptional top-of-the-table triumph over the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday morning (AEST).

But coach Ewen McKenzie will put them through their paces each day this week leading into Saturday night's clash with the Bulls at Suncorp Stadium.

It's a training template he has used to great success twice in the last year, upsetting the Bulls 19-12 under exactly the same circumstances 12 months ago and also beating the Lions 30-25 after flying to Johannesburg a fortnight ago.

Although football teams of all codes usually have one rest day in their training week, and possibly two when lengthy travel is involved, McKenzie feels short, sharp sessions late in the day work best to get his players back up.

"We experimented with it last year and it worked pretty well against the Bulls and we did the same in Johannesburg and it also worked out all right," he told AAP after returning home.

"We won't be having days off, we'll just get into it.

"There's no day off but just a little bit of training each day - we'll just get into it.

"It's just enough to get the required amount (of tactical preparation)."

Both McKenzie and rising Wallabies lock Rob Simmons said the experience of beating the Bulls in 2010, in their best performance of the season, had ensured the Reds would boast the self-belief required to post a sixth straight win.

Never before in the 16 season seasons of Super Rugby have Queensland won six matches in a row and the QRU are hoping for a crowd in excess of 30,000 to cheer on the resurgent competition leaders.

"Two big games in a row is a tough ask but we'll get back and recover and do our study," said Simmons, who rated the 19-6 win over the Stormers as the fastest game he'd played, including Test matches.

"I felt like was one of those guys coming off the bench just sprinting everywhere and trying to make an impact but when I got there I was arriving in the same order as usual.

"It was going to be a big mark to match where we are on the table and as a team and beating them lets us know were going pretty good I think."

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