Izaia Perese makes a break for the Waratahs on Saturday.

Izaia Perese makes a break for the Waratahs on Saturday.Credit:Getty

Dylan Pietsch,Lalakai Foketi,Izaia Perese and Jake Gordon were positives against the Force,while Jed Holloway is again running some damaging lines.

But there were 20-odd soft minutes that will be severely punished if repeated against the top sides.

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3. Fraser McReight is starting to challenge Michael Hooper

This contest hasn’t existed until now,except in the minds of some parochial Queenslanders. But McReight’s form,consistency and a bit more physicality this year has narrowed the gap to the Waratahs No.7. McReight was excellent against a big,if limited,Moana Pasifika side and his work without the ball is growing incrementally. He is still essentially a carrier and link man,but not exclusively any more.

The Reds’ Fraser McReight.

The Reds’ Fraser McReight.Credit:Getty

He’s been great in 2023,while the Brumbies’ Rory Scott continues to look like a Test player. He’s a big man now,and he’ll play for the Wallabies despite his omission from the first squad of the year. As for Hooper? He’s coming off his best game of the season against the Force.

Cully’s Team of the Week

  1. Tom Robertson (Force)
  2. Matt Faessler (Reds)
  3. Zane Nonggorr (Reds)
  4. Jed Holloway (Waratahs)
  5. Ryan Smith (Reds)
  6. Rob Valetini (Brumbies)
  7. Fraser McReight (Reds) - Player of the week
  8. Harry Wilson (Reds)
  9. Tate McDermott (Reds)
  10. Lawson Creighton (Reds)
  11. Ben O’Donnell (Brumbies)
  12. Lalakai Foketi (Waratahs)
  13. Izaia Perese (Waratahs)
  14. Suliasi Vunivalu (Reds)
  15. Tom Wright (Brumbies)

4. Simon Cron has picked the hardest job in Australia

The Force are coming off a brutal run – three games in New Zealand and a trip to Sydney – but they’ll be a chance against the Highlanders in Perth next week. However,there is no disguising the structural challenges they face.

In short,they need access to the better young players coming out of the eastern states. You have to feel for them:they got Australian rugby out of a major hole by joining Super Rugby AU in its hour of need,but try having a conversation about talent equalisation measures to fans in NSW and Queensland. There is no appetite for it.

5. The question mark for the Brumbies’ title hopes

The Brumbies conceded 64 points against Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua in Canberra. They still look uncomfortable when the game goes away from structure,and it was telling to see how the Crusaders played against them in round five.

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The Crusaders love a bit of structure themselves,but they very obviously switched to a wide game and an offload game to take the Brumbies out of their comfort zone. The key tests for the Brumbies are against the Hurricanes (away) in round 10,and the Chiefs (home) in round 14. That’s when we’ll know if they are the real thing.

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