Quade Cooper to face Lions with Reds

Quade Cooper will face the British & Irish Lions on Saturday after being named in the Reds starting XV by boss Ewan McKenzie.
The mercurial fly-half isn’t in the initial 25-man Wallabies squad so this will be his last chance to impress Robbie Deans who will name an additional six players on June 11.
Cooper will be helped in his quest by a strong Reds side which includes nine test players.
If the front five is a bit light with James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Saia Fainga’a and  James Slipper away with the Wallabies, the rest of the starting XV is full of Super Rugby experience.
Eddie Quirk, Beau Robinson and Jake Schatz will link up in the back row while Nick Frisby partners Cooper at half-backs.
Ben Tapuai, who was unlucky to miss out on a Wallabies call-up being in great form since the start of the Super Rugby campaign, is at inside centre with Anthony Faingaa.
The 2011 Super Rugby champions will also have a potent back three with flyers Rod Davies and Luke Morahan on the wings and Ben Lucas at full-back.
“Playing against the British & Irish Lions is a once in a career type opportunity, so to be running out in front of a sold-out Suncorp Stadium crowd on Saturday night will be an experience these 23 players will never forget,” McKenzie said.
“Our approach was always going to be to field as strong a line-up as possible and I’ve got every confidence in the group we’ve chosen to go out and compete against a very talented Lions squad.”
Reds: Ben Lucas; Rod Davies, Ben Tapuai, Anthony Faingaa, Luke Morahan; Quade Cooper, Nick Frisby; Ben Daley, James Hanson, Greg Holmes; Adam Wallace-Harrison, Ed O’Donoghue; Eddie Quirk, Beau Robinson, Jake Schatz.
Replacements: Albert Anae, Sam Denny, Jono Owen, Radike Samo, Jarrad Butler, Jono Lance, Mike Harris, Dom Shipperley.