It might not be plastered all over the dressing-room walls at Ballymore, but Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham’s now-infamous broadside aimed at the Queensland Reds after their opening-round shocker might as well be tattooed on the inside of their eyelids.

Queensland hardman Jake Schatz has foreshadowed a night of retribution for the Australian conference leaders, who face the under-siege Reds for the second time this season on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium.

Larkham declared the Reds were not “up to the standard of Super Rugby” following their 47-3 demolition of a hapless Queensland four weeks ago in Canberra – an accusation which his counterpart Richard Graham labelled “ridiculous”, and one that has clearly stuck in Schatz’s craw as well.

“You can leave it there and let him say what he wants and that’s fine … but we know we’re better than that and we know that for us to turn up we can certainly use that as motivation and turn it around in a week,” Schatz said.

“For those guys who have been here in the last four or five years, a comment like that certainly sits in your head.”

Larkham clarified his comments earlier this week – no doubt in anticipation they would be seized upon by the Reds – saying he had been taken out of context and meant to say Queensland’s performance level was not up to their usual high standards.

That’s an assessment Schatz – one of only three Queensland players to have crossed for a try in the opening four weeks of the season – can agree with.

“I don’t think we turned up in round one, to be honest. A comment like that – well, we didn’t turn up,” he said.

But pressed further on whether he was conceding there was some truth in what Larkham said, Schatz responded: “I don’t think it’s close to the truth at all.”

“None of these players deserve to be ridiculed.

“We get out there and we put in, 100 per cent every week – I can tell you that, every one of the guys in the team.”

Schatz said it was merely “consistency” that was missing for the Reds, an ambition made all the more unreachable by the side’s relentless injury crisis.

At least there is good news on that front – lock James Horwill is expected to return this weekend from a bout of back spasms.

Horwill was a late withdrawal from the side that was belted 23-5 by the NSW Waratahs, but has trained strongly this week and is will be available for selection.