Blues up against star Reds recruit

The Queensland Super 14 rugby team will reveal their new star league recruit on Saturday night in Brisbane against the Blues.

Former Brisbane Bronco Berrick Barnes has been named to start the trial game at first five-eighths.

The match will be played in four quarters, the Reds using 26 players.

Queensland has listed Drew Mitchell, Elton Flatley and Chris Latham, along with new Wallabies Lloyd Johansson and Hugh McMenamin.

The Blues will use around 25 players in the four quarter match, but none of the five regular All Black starters, who only return to the camp on Friday as the side flies out to Queensland.

New coach David Nucifora says he will give all players game time on the short Australian tour, but the All Blacks will not be reintroduced until next weekend.

Nucifora says this means other players will getting a fair bit of game time.

The Highlanders host the Crusaders in Queenstown in this weekend's only other pre-season game.

- NEWSTALK ZB