Reds prepare for Shark-hunt without Cooper

CHRISTCHURCH — The Reds’ serial escapes from the brink of elimination have marked them as Super Rugby’s Houdini act, and they face another test of their guile should they take on the Sharks without Quade Cooper in the first week of the finals.

The mercurial flyhalf was banned for a game for a rough tackle in the final round win over the Waratahs, though the team is weighing an appeal.

While Cooper is often maligned for being flashy, high-risk and defensively frail, the Reds are undoubtedly a better side with the 24-year-old New Zealander playing and survived six straight elimination matches to scramble into the finals.

This story is for NewsDay subscribers.