Queensland's Kiwi recruit Ezra Taylor has warned the Super 14 strugglers they need to rediscover a "bully boy" attitude or face a Highlanders mugging on Saturday.

Motivated former Highlanders forward Taylor will make his first start for his new team against his old side when they meet at icy Invercargill's Rugby Park.

Reds coach Phil Mooney has named the 111kg number 8 as one of five changes to the lazy and loose starting 15 which was smashed 50-26 by the Chiefs and 39-7 by the Western Force in the last fortnight.

Mooney has also tapped into Taylor's knowledge of New Zealand's most unfashionable and under-rated team to plot Queensland's first away win in 19 matches.

"They'll definitely be trying to beat us up," said Taylor.

"They're from the deep south and the ethos and culture of the deep southern men is to be a hard man and not to let any of your teammates take a backward step.

"So they will try to outmuscle us physically and push us off the ball."

But Taylor, who played eight Super 14 games for the Highlanders in 2007, believed the Reds were capable of matching the physicality of the resurgent Otago-based outfit who are sitting seventh after winning three of their last four matches.

He said Queensland's aggressive attitude had gone missing after their 25-13 upset of the Sharks, which was followed by a bye.

"We started out the season trying to have that physical presence and be bully boys but we lost some of that focus after the bye," Taylor said.

"If we can get out there with that mindset we can come out trumps.

Brisbane-born Taylor switched to the Reds after an injury-ruined 2008 due to the greater chance of a Wallabies call-up but is under no illusions he must prove himself worthy of a Queensland starting jersey first.

"Hopefully I can bring a bit more aggressiveness to the breakdown at ruck time, ball carries and defence with big tackles," he said.

Mooney has promoted Taylor in place of Leroy Houston and recalled Wallabies prop Greg Holmes (neck-shoulder) from injury and raw-boned flanker Scott Higginbotham mainly to muscle up against the tough, no-frills rival pack.

He also dumped young wingers Blair Connor and Rod Davies from his squad altogether, recalling injured duo Peter Hynes and Brando Va'aulu and putting teenage sevens star Luke Morahan on the bench.

The Highlanders, coming off their bye following a 36-12 upset of the Bulls, have never been beaten at home by the Reds, and Mooney knows his out-of-sorts team faces a massive challenge.

"I reckon they play a pretty complete style of game and are one of the few teams in the competition with the ability to be direct or play you in a wide-ranging moving rugby game," he said.

"(Coach) Glenn Moore's done a fantastic job with them and maybe they don't get the credit they deserve."

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