Much has been made of the Reds' youth but it's a wily veteran that could be the key to success against the Lions in Johannesburg.
Reds prop JP Smith grew up steeped in the rugby traditions of South Africa and is helping prepare his young pack for a brutal test against the Lions at the famed Ellis Park.
While the ground now goes by the sponsored name of Emirates Airlines Park, it's known throughout the rugby world by it's traditional moniker and Smith has been schooling his young teammates on its history.
"Ellis Park is obviously a very iconic stadium and there's a very big history here," he said.
"The 1995 World Cup was won here by South Africa over New Zealand so there's a lot of tradition here and it's awesome to be here.
"The Lions always get a big crowd, so (the players will) experience that and they're very, very passionate fans.
"First of all, the boys will enjoy the atmosphere, it's something different to what we know but they'll definitely enjoy it."
Originally from the Western Cape, Smith and twin brother Ruan moved to Australia with their family in 2006 and spent time at Toowoomba Grammar before heading back to South Africa to finish their schooling.
After a year playing with western Province, Smith headed back to Australia to chase a Super Rugby deal and has been with the Reds since 2018.
But he has plenty of family still in South Africa, many of whom will be at the game to cheer him on.
"I'm from Capetown but most of my family are around the Joburg area, so I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone," he said.
The Lions clash is the main thing on his mind though and Smith believes the Reds can continue the dominance they displayed against a Wallaby-laden Brumbies front row again.
"They've got a lot of experience up front and it's going to be a massive test for us," he said.
"The secret for us is just to keep consistency and build forward from there."
Smith faces his own massive test in a head-to-head battle with Lions tighthead Jannie du Plessis, who played 70 Tests for the Springboks before his retirement from international rugby in 2015.
It's unlikely to faze Smith though, who well and truly held his own against Brumbies captain and Wallabies tighthead Allan Alaalatoa last week despite heading into the season-opener without a minute's play under his belt due to off-season surgery on both knees.
After arriving in Johannesburg well ahead of the match, Smith said the Reds had prepared well and were ready to attempt to follow last year's win against the Sharks in Durban with another scalp in South Africa.
"The first couple of days we spent recovering and trying to get into a routine," he said.
"Wednesday we had a big session and it was executed well and we finished that last one (well), so the boys are looking sharp and ready to go."
The Reds take on the Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Sunday, February 9, kicking off at 12:05am ADET and broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports and Kayo.
