Roar Guru
In a thrilling match, the Blues tied the game up at the death with a penalty kick after the buzzer.
REPORT: REDS DENIED AT THE DEATH
There were great signs for the Reds. The Blues have been very good this year and there are definitely improvements that can be taken out of the game.
The penalty count was in favour of the Reds (7-14), but the Reds really will rue that as an opportunity missed.
Will that crush their confidence going into next week? Well, that remains to be seen.
Good performance from both sides, but the Blues I’m sure will be upset with that performance.
The Reds were ahead by about 10 points at one stage with around 10 minutes left, so it’s a poor result for the Reds, who missed the chance to grab their first win of the season. They just were unable to close the match.
Final score
Reds 25
Blues 25
Suncorp Stadium will play host to a clash between the struggling Reds and resurgent Blues, in a vital clash for both teams. Join The Roar from 7:45pm (AEDT) for live commentary and scores.
The Reds are in dire straits, having drastically changed their administrative and coaching set-up, and registering one point from their first three games.
Additionally, they are without Wallaby representatives Ben Daley (torn pectoral muscle), Kane Douglas and James Slipper.
Other than that, the Reds remained unchanged following their loss to the Rebels last weekend.
Reds co-coaches Nick Stiles and Matt O’Connor were pleased with the effort but acknowledged there’s still work to be done.
“The two things we can address immediately are our discipline and how we start the game,” O’Connor said.
“We decided it was important to stick with the team, as combinations are important.”
In what is a big surprise, Rene Ranger has been completely left out of the Blues side by coach Tana Umaga. Instead, 19-year-old flyer Rieko Ioane will make his debut.
All Black Steven Luatua returns to his favoured number 8 jersey, as Patrick Tuipulotu moves back into the second row, forcing Akira Ioane back to the bench.
The Blues have endured a tough start to their 2016 campaign, with fixtures against the Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes, winning one from three. However, the Reds have only triumphed in one out of their last nine against New Zealand opponents.
Prediction
The Blues will be too powerful across the board.
Blues by 14.