In-form Queensland Reds winger Lachie Anderson is proving as sharp as the hair that never seems to shift out of place even after 80 fierce minutes.
No Reds player has played more minutes in 2025 as the Queenslanders head to Canberra for a key derby against the ACT Brumbies on Saturday night.
In a classic moment of banter, Anderson gatecrashed a media conference being given by Head Coach Les Kiss at Ballymore on Wednesday.
Both were listed to appear but while Anderson waited his turn he decided to poke his iPhone mic into the media scrum to pose a fun question to Kiss.
“How about that bloke on the right edge, how’s he going?” Anderson said with a grin.
Kiss didn’t miss a beat.
“One of the most impressive things is the hair that doesn’t move when he’s running down that sideline,” Kiss said with a laugh.
“The hair just stays in place.”
Whereas wing mate Tim Ryan and Beau Robinson, the 2011 Super Rugby winner, might finish games with hairstyles like unmade beds, Anderson’s hair looks like it doesn’t need a comb before he heads to a wedding.
That’s no take on Anderson’s workrate which is always industrious.
Given a chance to elaborate, Kiss would also call him Mr Reliable with all he is putting into the Reds cause this season.
Whether that’s finishing expertly with the match-winning try on the right sideline against the NSW Waratahs last Friday night or timing his incision perfectly from the blind wing for that set play gem against the Blues, he’s hunting for work.
There’s key tackles and offloads. There’s even a shoulder being lent to the occasional rolling maul as it zeroes in on the tryline. He gets the Reds’ way of doing things and being a multi-purpose factor.
His fourth try of the year to settle the gritty result against the Waratahs is a chunk of the confidence that the Reds will take to Canberra.
“It was a satisfying moment after a tough 80 minutes against the ‘Tahs,” Anderson said.
“It’s always nice to be on the backend of some beautiful work. It started with our forwards and I probably owe ‘Lipo’ (Filipo Daugunu) a few beers for the kick he put on.
“Everyone knows that going down to Canberra against a good Brumbies side is a hard place to win, right.
“We are coming off a good win against the ‘Tahs. We are looking to keep that momentum going and stacking the positives into another huge 80 minutes for us.
“We’re at the pointy end of the season where every point matters towards where you finish and play your finals footy.
“We’re really excited.”
Anderson did have a wedding to attend after the match in Sydney...his own.
Last Saturday, Anderson married sweetheart Mikaela Gardoni in the Oakhill College chapel at his old school in Sydney.
It was the legal paperwork part. The wedding will unfold post-season.
Kiss is confident that the repetitions and experience that young flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips has gained over the past two seasons holds him in good stead for a Saturday night like this.
“I thought in the second half against the Waratahs in those (wet) conditions, he mixed the balance of his game very well,” Kiss said.
Kiss said Saturday’s match between clubs rank second and fourth in SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific would have plenty of bearing on the top three.
“It’s a carrot for both teams. It’s going to be juicy. We don’t expect anything less than a good derby,” he added.
