Queensland Reds head coach Les Kiss has named 11 rookie players to face the Wild Knights and he has also backed Jock Campbell to make a comeback for the Wallabies.
The 28-year-old will wear the No. 15 jersey for the Redmen in Saturday’s match against the Saitama Wild Knights in Ballymore, Japan.
Campbell came on for Tom Banks in the 16-15 win over Scotland before making his first starts against France, Italy and Wales.
He joined Rennie’s Wallabies in January but Campbell was ruled out of Tests and the World Cup after Jones took over and he played for Australia A against Tonga in July.
Keith said Campbell was “not kicking rocks” and had the heart and talent to return to play for Australia.
“Jock is an enterprising young man. I don’t think he has an ‘me versus them’ mentality,” the coach said.
“He wants to get better every day and he’s very welcoming (assistant coach) Brad Davis to us as we add more detail to the backs game.
“He’s hungry, as they come, but he’s very determined to be the best he can be and he’ll definitely be back in the clearing ranks (for the Wallabies).
Keith, who said he inherited an in-form team from former coach Brad Thorn, said the match against Japan would give a glimpse of the style of rugby he wants the Reds to play under his leadership.
“I want to be a team that is hard to beat, hard to tackle,” he said …… team, so we’ve been creating options and I want the team to be bold enough to pull the trigger.
“I want my boys to play a progressive, aggressive style of rugby while understanding the principles of the game – set-pieces and defense and things that get you ready – but I want us to get more chances, find opportunities and see how good we can be,” he said.
The Wild Knights are coached by former Kangaroos mentor Robbie Deans.
Wild Knights head coach Robbie Deans is confident his side will perform well against the Queensland Reds.
“It’s a game we’ve rekindled,” Deans said.
“The first time was in 1994. Last year, the Reds jumped into first place and we …… , came in second place by a margin.
“It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to play in this tournament, especially for this group of players.
“We use this time of year to showcase and develop the next generation.
“We will do better and we want to perform better than last year.