22 Feb 2012

Former North Harbour player to fill Quade Cooper's boots at Reds

7:11 pm on 22 February 2012

The former North Harbour player Mike Harris will fill Quade Cooper's boots for Queensland in their opening Super Rugby match of the season against New South Wales in Sydney on Saturday night.

Cooper, the Wallabies first five, will miss the first six rounds of the competition as he recovers from a knee reconstruction surgery after being injured in last year's World Cup.

Queensland recruited Harris from North Harbour in 2010 and the former New Zealand Under-20 representative played at second five for the Reds last season.