Super Rugby
Waratahs ready to meet Reds fire with fire up front
March 3, 2015
The Waratahs believe the Reds see the set-piece as a Queensland strength © Getty Images
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The Waratahs expect Queensland Reds to target them up front at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, but they believe they're ready to meet the challenge having focused this year on the set-piece.

"I think they see their forwards as a strength for them - their scrum, their lineout, their maul," Waratahs No.8 Stephen Hoiles said. "I certainly think they'll have a crack at us there, and if we want to improve as a side that's one area we've identified that we need to get better at."

Waratahs and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika's pre-season appointment of former Pumas hardman Mario Ledesma as NSW's scrum consultant has wisened up the Super titleholders, and Hoiles, a 10-year veteran of Super Rugby, said on Tuesday that he'd never before taken too much interest in scrums.

"There's always been a job for a back-rower to do, but they've put a lot more emphasis on what the back five [in the scrum] should be doing," he said. "I've packed into as many scrums as anyone and I don't really know what's going on, but this year we've done so much work in the off-season and I've actually quite enjoyed it.

"The whole side has taken a bit of a northern hemisphere approach; we've scrummaged more than we ever have."

Hoiles suspects the 2015 global showpiece is behind the increased focus on scrums, saying "there's a big focus from the Australian public on the Australian set-piece, and I think the players are on board with that".

Waratahs assistant coach Nathan Grey agreed the onus was well and truly on the NSW pack to front to ensure Reds half-back Will Genia and his outside backs weren't afforded too much latitude.

"They've definitely got some key weapons in terms of their set-piece," Grey said of the Reds pack.

"Will's starting to find his mojo with his running game and that comes on the back of the platform provided by those forwards."

The Waratahs hope to have Wycliff Palu back on deck for the conference derby after he suffered a knee injury in the round-one loss to Western Force.

© AAP

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