Queensland’s brutal loss to the Brumbies is threatening to derail their Super Rugby title charge with almost half their backline wiped out in Saturday night’s 22-14 upset.
Key backs Anthony Faingaa (hamstring) and Ben Lucas (knee) are battling to play in the competition again while tackle-busting winger Digby Ioane will miss at least a week after being knocked out cold at Suncorp Stadium.
Defensive linchpin Faingaa is the most worrying after suffering a grade two hamstring strain which is expected to see him sidelined for at least a month and have him racing time to make it back for the July 9 final at best.
Lucas damaged his medial cruciate ligament and is facing three to four weeks off.
Highlighting the pair’s courage, both continued on after going down with their injuries while standout Faingaa played out the entire last 15 minutes in “excruciating pain” – even pulling off a rib-rattling cover tackle on Nic White.
The former Brumbies centre hasn’t given up hope of returning for a preliminary final appearance but was unsure whether he further damaged his hamstring by desperately playing on as the Reds attempted to come from behind.
“I wasn’t coming off, there was no way I was coming off,” Faingaa told AAP. “You do whatever it takes to win.
“I’d seen a couple of boys go down and kept going and didn’t realise how bad it was until the end of the game.”
Reds mentor Ewen McKenzie rates Faingaa one of the best body-on-the-line players he has ever coached and praised the four-Test centre for his bravery.
“You can’t say enough about his character and that’s what really defines people and with his character you can’t say a bad word about Anthony,” McKenzie said.
While halves Quade Cooper and Will Genia pull the strings for the Reds, Faingaa and Lucas are key backline defenders – usually positioning themselves in the 10-12 channel – and are almost irreplaceable.
Compounding McKenzie’s problems is the fact Kiwi recruit Mike Harris, who has started at both inside centre and fullback this season, is still at least another week away from returning from knee surgery.
Queensland had been fortunate to go through the first half of the competition with minimal injuries but they now have a mounting casualty ward which also includes influential flanker Beau Robinson and wingers Peter Hynes and Rod Davies.
Davies is back running after knee surgery and may soften the blow of losing Ioane, who was felled by a high tackle from Brumbies No.8 Ita Vaea.
With Luke Morahan set to move from the wing to fullback to cover Lucas’s loss, McKenzie admitted he may have to get “creative” with his backline selections due to his thinning depth.
But the coach would not use the collateral damage from the rare home loss, which has put a top-two finals berth in jeopardy, as a potential roadblock to a title charge.
“That’s what happens, it is what it is. We’ll just soldier on,” he said.
dwc
Guest
Your legend Tim Horan said after the game that Gits did the right thing by kicking the goal, you play to the very end....matter settled?
Marto
Guest
Git's full-time kick - he looked liked a sore loser - on the table at least rather then a gracious and sensible winner. I have been a big fan of his for his entire career and this year until the last 2 weeks. Kicking the ball out against the force at the end and being satisfied with a draw is soft. Wanted him and his experience, his skill and hard won attitude n the wallabies 22 and prob 15 but now think he may be a negative influence they can do without. Wallabies look great as long as the injuries don't mount up.
formeropenside
Guest
Vulnerable frontrow? The reds scrum caned the Brumbies all night long.
johnny-boy
Guest
except for a couple of notable knowlegeable exceptions of course
johnny-boy
Guest
not me hyperdog :)
BennO
Guest
A kick for goal from in front, after the bell? I reckon he just assumed he'd miss it. Like he usually does.
Naki
Guest
Seriously can not believe the amount of people encouraging match fixing and accusing Matt Giteau of being unsportsmanlike? Encouraging cheating really?
Peter De villiers
Guest
Ja Ja we did it last year when the Bulls rested most of the top team because they were already guaranteed a home final which in turn gave the Stormers a easy win over them which in turn gave them the other place in the final at the cost of the Waratah's ? We would do anything to advance the might of SA ruuuugby!
Quakezone....
Guest
I GRS has it the wrong way around it would have been bad sportsmanship if Gits kicked that penalty for touch, regardless of whther they are in contention or not thats irrelevant (Unless you are a REDs supporter) as a sportsman Giteau not only wanted to beat them but to deny them any points from what was a ill tempered match...when you play sport with that kind of intesity for 80 mins and you have an opportunity to stick it to your opposition so it hurts...what would you do? If the kick did not have any bearing on the super rugby finals i.e an international then kick it out, but after 80 mins of an intense struggle with sledging and cheeky cynical pats on the back and head when an opponent made an error and having the guy that smashed me give a penalty away on the buzzer, I would have loved to have been Giteau and had the final sledge on Cooper
JohnB
Guest
Have to agree that if he hadn't gone for the goal (assuming it was within his range and he would expect to kick it dead if he missed the goal - barring hitting the posts) other teams would be entitled to complain. If the kick was from a distance or wide out, by all means play safe and kick it out - but that wasn't the case here. I think every team in the comptetition is entitled to rest or rotate players, but once its team is on the field it has an obligation to every other team to try to win (and by as much as possible) and to try to minimise the points earned by its opponent.
chester
Guest
Gees there are a lot of whinging about Giteau taking the kick at goal. Simple solution reds fans, dont give the penalty away in the first place. Or kick the ball out prior to the penalty being given and take the 1 point for the BP loss. The Reds are starting to struggle with injuries but I think the Brumbies highlighted the Reds weaknesses 1) Vunerable front row particularly Faingaa 2) Vunerable lineout 3) Cooper can be hot and cold ( mainly cold on Sat night) 4) Heavy reliance on Ioane and Genia to get thinks happening Genia has been great this season and I believe he makes Cooper look good, giving him very quick ball on the front foot. As soon as Genia went off you could see the team drop.
jokerman
Guest
Maybe Gary Sham, you could move away from winning at all costs...and win in spirit? Can you imagine Federa or Nadal altering matches.....I mention these two because they play within the spirit of the game. they win, but never win compromising with their hearts.
jokerman
Guest
Poor sportmanship eh Gary? If Giteau had entered that place it becomes very polemical. If he had, how would SA and New Zealand feel? Each counry could then proceed into all sorts of a arrangements when 2 local teams meet and one result means a lot to one, and not the other.
Bayboy
Guest
Interesting to see so many people Australians chiding Giteau for not cheating and rigging the match. Appalling rugby does not need fans like this. P.S Lee technically speaking the Bulls did give the Stormers a leg up into the finals last year so it's a bit hard to take the moral high ground here in that sense.
Ryan
Guest
I think Gits took the right decision by kicking the goal and avoiding the mother of all sh1t storms and by the way Gits and the Brumbies don't owe the Reds anything. A good wake up call for the Reds that what lies ahead will not be easy and no one including Aussie teams are going to hand them a home final. Reds have worked hard all season to be at top the ladder, don't go to sleep now.
Hopperdoggy
Guest
I agree with GRS. If you look at it purely from a "making the game safe" point of view, it was safer to kick it out. 80 mins was up and this would have killed the game. Taking the penalty shot ran the risk of the ball bouncing of the post and giving the Reds one last shot. So from this point of view, not the smart option. Gits made a poor choice from a rugby point of view and a poorer choice from an Australian point of view. Time for him to start working on his French BTW, Who gives a S#@T what the Kiwis and Saffas have to say?
Hoy
Roar Guru
I can't fault Giteau for taking the kick. It is fine. Reds just didn't seem to turn up. I always thought this would be a bit of an ambush, especially after the week before's massive effort against the Crusaders.
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
Maybe you guys should get some collective pride in Australian rugby and look at bigger pictures than your own self gratification like Mr Giteau does.
Lee
Guest
Are you suggesting collusion between 2 teams to rig the final table? How would you react if the Crusaders did that for the Blues? Or the Stormers to the Bulls?
Harry
Guest
Disagree, Gits perfectly entitled to take the kick and extend the lead - he's the captain and its his decision to do what he wants. To not do so would have (rightfully) casued all the saffas and kiwi's to jump up and down in indignation. I think it was the correct decision. Pessimistic about the Reds injury toll though. I see the press say Higginbotham for 12 ... hmmm, these type of moves generally end in disaster. But Coach McKenzie has done a great job and so I am confident and trusting he'll work this one out!