Veteran Reds forward Scott Higginbotham says coach Brad Thorn faces plenty of tough decisions as he ponders Queensland's best 23 for Sunday's clash against the Brumbies.
The Reds notched their first win of the Super Rugby season with a gritty comeback against the Sunwolves in Tokyo, with several young guns playing leading roles in the fightback.
Playmaker Hamish Stewart, who is unlikely to have even started had Bryce Hegarty been fit, slotted the winning penalty, while scrumhalf Tate McDermott made an impact off the bench and will force Thorn to closely consider his options in the halves.
"That's a difficult decision for Thorny I guess and I'm glad I'm not picking the team," Higginbotham said.
"It's great to have some depth and it's nice to see some young guys getting opportunities and that's what you want to see if those young guys taking their opportunities."
Separating starting halfback Moses Sorovi and McDermott, who provided quicker ball for the Reds, was difficult, Higginbotham said.
"Both Moses and Tatey are really electric, just bouncing around, full of energy halfbacks," he said.
"I'm sure Tatey will get his opportunity. I'm not sure if it will be this week - back and forth, there's not a lot that separates those two."
The Reds' buoyed confidence faces a test this weekend against a Brumbies side coming off a strong win against the Waratahs.
"I think they're playing some really good football," Higginbotham said of the Canberrans.
"Obviously they'd be disappointed with their two games against the Rebels and not getting a win in that derby but their rolling maul is obviously something that has been a strength for them for a number of years now and their scrum, so we'l have to be on our game around the park.
"It's something we'll have to improve from the Sunwolves."
With the Japanese side a member of the Australian conference, the Reds will take them on again in a round 12 rematch at Suncorp Stadium.
"I think when we play the Sunwolves again, we'll see a different team," Higginbotham said.
'They'll have a lot of their blokes who are in their Japan (World) Cup side playing for them, so it's good to get a win there but we're not underestimating them, they'll be a different side come round two."
The Reds too will be a more mature team, with former Reds captain Higginbotham proud of the strides the young players are making as they grab the opportunities on offer to help rebuild Queensland rugby.
Among them is 20-year-old Harry Hockings, whose charge down of a Sunwolves kick in the dying minutes helped Queensland to last Saturday's win.
"That was fantastic from him. I said he'd have every AFL club knocking on his door after that game," Higginbotham said.
"He's a talent and they're the things you can do when you're 20 years old.
"It was a clutch moment in the game.
"We knew they were going to go short somewhere along that frontline and Hocko made the decision, got up and got the ball.
"He would have lived for that moment."
