After overcoming a sluggish start to the season, UQ have arguably been the form team of the Hospital Cup regular season. 

The Red Heavies haven’t lost since June 1 and have scored on average 42 points a match in their six wins and two draws across the second round of the competition. 

“We had a few changes in the team and the coaching staff last offseason and I think it took us a little while through the early parts of the year to find our rhythm and our groove,” UQ playmaker Brad Twidale told Rugby News. 

“As the year progressed, we worked out the type of footy that we wanted to play and built some combinations which allowed us to play our style more consistently.”

Despite an eight-game unbeaten streak, UQ’s poor start to the season cost the Red Heavies a spot in the major semi final. 

The Students face Souths – a side they beat 51-20 and 59-50 earlier this year – in a must win clash at Sunnybank on Sunday and Twidale said defence would be the key for both sides this weekend. 

“Attack has never been too much of an issue for us, we’ve always been able to score points. 

“Defence has been our big work on and we’ve focussed most of our time on that side of the ball this year. 

“When the stakes are higher in finals games, teams get more desperate and defences usually tighten up. We’ll be doing much of the same of what we’ve been doing all season, we’ll just need to do it at a higher intensity. 

“Strategically, things might change a little bit when it comes to taking points but as a whole we won’t be changing the way we play too much.”

Souths return to the playoffs for the first time in six seasons on the back of an up and down regular season. 

Coach Garrick Morgan has rarely got his best XV on the park together through the regular season and Twidale said UQ were well aware of how dangerous the Magpies will be when it happens. 

“They’ve got a lot of great individual talent and when they put it together as a team, they’re really dangerous and have a lot of points in them,” he said. 

“We’ll need to cut down their big bodies because they’ve probably got a bit of size on us. 

“Physicality will be key for us so that we can stop that front foot ball that they like to play off.”

The winner of Sunday’s clash will face the loser of the major semi final between Brothers and Wests next weekend in a grand final qualifier and after missing the finals last season, Twidale said his side was thrilled to be back mixing it at the pointy end of the season. 

“We’re a proud rugby club and it was really disappointing not to be in the top four last year and playing finals. 

“We like to think we’re a realistic chance to win the comp every season so it’s been pleasing to bounce back, particularly after the start of the season we had. 

“We’ve got our eyes on the prize and want to go all the way, but we need to get past Souths this weekend before we worry about anything else.”