Jordan Petaia returns on the horizon when Red’s eye breaks the long drought against Brumbies

After a seven-year drought against the NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds skipper Liam Wright sees no reason to believe that his undefeated team won’t be able to finish his super rugby field in Canberra.

It’s been six years since the Reds overthrown the Brumbies in the capital, and Wright is ready for the fight when the two leading teams meet at Super Rugby AU on Saturday.

The Brumbies have won the last six matches at home, scoring 35 attempts.

The next generation of All Blacks hookers

Dan McKellar’s men almost broke loose in the first round of the shortened Super Rugby in January when they left the Reds by 10 points with blazing bushfires at half-time before prevailing 27:24.

It is a result that Wright stands out with the goal of ending a series of eleven defeats against the Waratahs in the first round of this month.

“Six long years have passed (in Canberra). We have fired a few times now, especially this year, ”he said.

“We made it a mess for ourselves and the Brumbies did really well to come back. We know we can play down there, we just have to do it for the full 80 minutes.

“This is what we have been following this entire competition.”

The Reds were encouraged to return to training Wallabies sensation Jordan Petaia, although Wright believes the full-back’s chances of qualifying this weekend are slim.

Injured 20-year-old Petaia has had a shoulder problem since February, but has shown enough to indicate that his return is not far.

“He’s going pretty well and is getting going again,” said Wright.

“I think there are a few more boxes to check, but it’s just nice to see him back in training and to look pretty confident.

“He had a bad run so it’s good to see him confidently in his body again and just enjoy his footy.”

A collision between two in-form packs will be fascinating, with Wright particularly enjoying the Scrum fight.

Tighthead Taniela Tupou anchored a dominant Reds series in 2020, but Wright didn’t want to fire a test-quality fuse under the Brumbies Scrum, though it hasn’t been for the past few weeks.

“They are still pretty much the first row of wallabies there, so you can’t take them lightly or write them off at all,” Wright said.