The Queensland Reds will head to South Africa disappointed, but not dispirited after snatching a cruel defeat from the jaws of Super Rugby victory against the Crusaders.
The Reds were on course for a landmark win after racing to a 17-0 lead over their New Zealand bogey side on Saturday night but let it slip in a poor final 20 minutes.
Mitchell Hunt’s last-second penalty clinched the 22-20 result and put the Crusaders ahead for the first time in the match, capping off a heartbreaking night at Suncorp Stadium for the hosts.
But coach Nick Stiles he said he was not “devastated” by the loss, in light of their ugly recent record against the Crusaders over the last few years.
“We’re playing the Crusaders here, one of the best sides in Super Rugby history, and we’ve lost to them after full-time whistle,” Stiles said.
“It shows you we’ve competed.
“We haven’t fired a shot against these blokes in years.
“You’ve gone from a team that loses by 50 points to a team that’s been beaten on the buzzer.
“I’d be devastated if we fronted up like we did last week. I’m disappointed we didn’t finish the game off.”
The Reds will depart on Monday for a two-week tour ahead of tough clashes against the Lions in Johannesburg and the Jaguares in Argentina.
They will do so with no fresh injury concerns after Stiles cleared key man Quade Cooper of any damage to his knee.
The Wallaby five-eighth had heavy strapping applied to his left knee in the opening minutes and looked uncomfortable at times but played out the full 80 minutes, and Stiles was confident it wouldn’t be an ongoing issue.
Captain James Slipper was upbeat about what the Reds could take away from the match.
“A lot of the boys will take confidence purely (because) we can compete with good teams,” he said.
“When we play our game, we’re competitive.
“The key for us now when we move forward is when we’re in a competitive spot, just to come away with the win. That’s something we’ll grow into.”
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