Reds’ form threatens World Cup hopes

Queensland flanker Liam Gill admits the Reds’ desperately poor Super Rugby campaign could cost him and teammates Rugby World Cup spots.

The Reds have travelled to South Africa to take on the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld this Saturday with just one win in 2015.

Last weekend’s loss to the Rebels in Melbourne means only Auckland’s winless Blues are keeping the Reds off the bottom of the Super Rugby ladder.

One of the team’s best-performed players, flanker Gill is among a number of Reds with realistic World Cup ambitions but he accepts that, unless results improve, it’ll be hard to make a case with Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.

“To be a Wallaby you have to be a part of a successful setup,” said Gill, who has 15 Wallabies caps.

“We understand that we need to really regroup and start to drive a winning culture.

“We understand that we need to stop the ideology of losing and reshape it to just mentally get us over the line.

“We’re in games, we just lose. We need to get through that and I think that’ll make huge progressions for Wallabies.

“It stems back from how the Reds are going and that’s really what we’re focused on.”

The Reds have gone to South Africa without injured stars Quade Cooper (shoulder) and Jake Schatz (elbow) while former skipper James Horwill is under a one-game suspension and did not ravel with the tour group following his red card against the Rebels.

Loftus Versfeld is an unlikely venue for the Reds revival to begin, given the Queenslanders haven’t won there since 2001.

In total the Reds have played at the venue eight times for just two wins while their defeats have included a 92-3 embarrassment in 2007 and a 61-8 mauling the last time they played there in 2012.

Despite the record, Gill says the team is embracing the challenge and confident of pulling off a shock.

“Loftus is an awesome place to play at,” Gill said.

“Understandably it’s one of the hardest venues in the world of rugby to get a win at but I guess that makes us more excited.

“We understand the situation we’re in.”

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