Quade Cooper cautions Hurricanes: we won't let you off again - The Australian

The multi-talented Quade Cooper performs a pas de deux with the ball during training at Suncorp Stadium this week. Picture: Liam Kidston Source: The Courier-Mail

WHENEVER Queensland Reds playmaker Quade Cooper thinks back on past losses to the Hurricanes - and there have been nine over their past 10 meetings - he always recalls letting the Kiwis off the hook.

Not that Cooper has played in all of those matches, but he certainly has been in the thick of the action in recent years when the Reds have worked themselves into position to win the match only to take their foot off the Hurricanes' throats.

The Reds turned in a brilliant first half against them in Wellington in 2010 only to allow the home side in for a try right on the stroke of half-time and on the back of that momentum the Hurricanes blitzed them 44-21. The following year the Reds had trailed early, but then fought their way into the lead, only to be beaten by a penalty goal right on the bell.

"Over past years, we've kind of overplayed it a little bit with the attack," Cooper said. "They're such an attacking side that when you push passes or make an error they're the sort of side that make you pay. Whenever I think of past games against the Hurricanes, we've really let them off the hook at very vital positions in the game.

"We really want to make sure we limit the errors in the game and make them pay for any errors they make."

It especially will be Cooper's job to punish the Hurricanes' mistakes now he has inherited the goalkicking from fullback Mike Harris, who has been benched.

Cooper kicked in the pre-season trial against the Blues in Toowoomba, but not well - although he did have an excellent explanation.

"The grass was really spongy and the tee wouldn't sit on it, so I tried to soccer-kick one of the balls through and it didn't work," he said.

Taking over from Harris at No 15 will be Aidan Toua, an old schoolboy teammate.

"He's one of those freakish players who can create something out of nothing," said Cooper, who knows something of that himself. Worryingly for the Reds, another of those freakishly gifted players who can conjure tries from nowhere, Hurricanes skipper and All Blacks centre Conrad Smith, has been cleared of a head knock and given the OK to play.