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The Waratahs have capped off an impressive season with a dominant performance against the Reds.
FINAL SCORE:
Reds 3
Waratahs 34
Traditional rivals the Reds and Waratahs meet at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday in what should be a brutal Australian derby. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7.40pm AEST.
Top of the table, flying high and with six wins in a row, the Waratahs arrive in Brisbane full of confidence. They are headed to the finals and seem to have eradicated their early season wobbles.
The contrast with the Reds is vast. They have endured a horrible season and are coming off a 10-point loss at the hands of the Force. They have managed just five wins from their 15 games this season and are well out of finals contention.
The Reds are playing for pride and there is no bigger showcase for a Queensland team than beating New South Wales.
The Waratahs beat the Reds convincingly at the start of this season 32-5 and have the edge in interstate battles, having won eight of the 13 clashes since 2006.
Their running game is working well, Kurtley Beale is looking better and better in the centres and their defence has improved greatly. Beranrd Foley is enjoying a great 2014, second in points scored in Super Rugby just behind Beauden Barrett. Israel Folau tops the try-scoring charts with 12 while Beale and Foley have five each.
There is also a real steel to the Tahs forward pack this season. Michael Foley has lead the way with an average of 11 tackles per game, fifth highest in the competition, followed by scrum-half Nick Phipps.
Stopping the line-breaking and offloading ability of Folau, though easier said than done, is a key task that the Reds have luckily avoided. Folau has been ruled out with a corked thigh, giving Queensland a better chance of an upset. The Tahs have won just one of three games they have played without the former Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos star.
The Reds have injury issues of their own – no Quade Cooper and no Will Genia being the biggest problem. Ben Lucas and Scott Gale will take their place in their halves and will need to step up to give the home team a shot.
The Reds might be out of the finals picture but there are Wallabies spots up for grabs, particularly for the likes of Ben Tapuai, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, James Slipper and James Hanson. They will want to impress.
In the same week that the State of Origin series finished, at the same venue, Queensland will want to enact some red-revenge and throw a spanner into the Tahs title hopes.
Join us at 7.40pm AEDT for all the action.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.