Ryan Smith has hinted that the man he's filling in for as captain could still have the biggest impact as the Queensland Reds eye the Western Force - and the top of the Super Rugby Pacific charts.
The Reds (4-1, 19 points) sit equal second alongside the Crusaders ahead of Saturday's Suncorp Stadium clash.
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The leading Chiefs (5-1, 22 points) have the bye, leaving the Reds with the rare chance to jump into first place after seven rounds if the Crusaders slip up against Moana Pasifika.
Smith will captain a team missing injured co-captain Liam Wright (shoulder) and rested star back-rowers Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight.
Incumbent skipper Tate McDermott will return from a week off from the bench, with in-form Kalani Thomas to start at scrumhalf a week after piloting them to victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin.
The Reds scored on the siren to beat the Force (3-3), who bounced out of a three-game losing streak by thrashing Fijian Drua last week.
It leaves lock Smith as the surprise captain of a team he says is not taking the Force lightly.
"Attacking threats across the field; we have to be on our game to defend against that," he said.
Former Reds flyer Mac Grealy has found a home at fullback for the Force while back-rower Carlo Tizzano has scored a competition-leading eight tries.
"Mac was here for a lot of years and a really good friend of a lot of us," Smith said.
"Carlo, both sides of the ball is really physical ... his ability to pop up everywhere ... it's something we're aware of.
"(Captaincy is) really cool because I probably never thought I'd even play for the Reds.
"To captain the team at Suncorp for a Super Rugby game, it's massive.
"The boys know what to do and don't need too much of a 'gee-up' speech, we know how important this game is in the grand scheme of the season."
Smith says things won't change too much for him as skipper, but hinted McDermott's unusual bench cameo could be pivotal, given the officials' desire for rapid rugby.
"To be able to speed it up and create opportunities for those fast guys at the back end, to really turn it on," Smith said.
"He does that in the first five minutes of games against fresh opposition, so to be able to come on late and hopefully help close it out ... it's going to be cool."
