Reds No.8 Radike Samo charges into the Blues defence at Suncorp Stadium. The two sides will meet in a trial in Toowoomba in February. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail
THE Queensland Reds will meet the Auckland-based Blues in the first of two home Super Rugby pre-season trials on February 2 in Toowoomba.
The match at The Toowoomba Sports Ground is the first provincial clash on the Darling Downs in four years and comes a fortnight before the Reds' season opener against the Brumbies in Canberra.
Queensland have yet to announce their opponents for their second pre-season trial, also set to be held in Queensland the week after, but the Blues clash will be pivotal to selection.
"The fact that there is only a fortnight between our trial against the Blues and our first Super Rugby game against the Brumbies in Canberra just adds to the importance of putting in a strong performance," said Reds director of coaching Ewen McKenzie.
"There is only a limited amount of time for each player to impress before the season kicks off so it's crucial that we see the group execute what we've been working on during the pre-season."
The last major match held in Toowoomba, the breeding ground for Wallabies greats such as Tim Horan and Jason Little, was when the Reds hosted the NSW Waratahs in 2009.
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