Queensland have held on for their first victory of the Super Rugby season, edging the Highlanders 28-27 in a Saturday night thriller at Suncorp Stadium.
Liam Gill, Nick Frisby and star man Samu Kerevi all scored tries in the first half, as the competition’s 17th-ranked team dominated the outfit who came into the round rated second best.
All Black halfback Aaron Smith scored the Highlanders’ first try on the hour mark and, nine minutes later, Malakai Fekitoa dived over for a five-pointer, before Lima Sopoaga raced nearly 80 metres to cross in the corner and nailed his conversion to close the gap to a point.
The 17,119 fans then collectively held their breath as the Reds grimly wound down the clock to the 80-minute mark, snapping the Highlanders’ five-game winning streak.
Gill put the Reds in front, scoring in the right corner in the second minute after being fed by Kerevi.
A golden chance for a Highlanders try was wasted soon afterwards when Rob Thompson dropped a pass from Smith 20 metres out under little pressure.
The Highlanders were made to regret this in the 16th minute when Kerevi passed to Nabuli on the left wing 40 metres from the line and the bruising winger cut inside Jack Wilson and drew the challenge of Matt Faddes before feeding Frisby to touch down under the posts.
Kerevi, who racked up 150 metres including seven tackle busts in the first half, was rewarded with the try his play deserved five minutes before the break when he collected the ball on the left wing, 35 metres out and shrugged off despairing challenges before diving over.
The Reds went off at halftime to a well-deserved standing ovation, but the second half could not have been a more-contrasting affair.
The Highlanders dominated immediately but were denied a try from Shane Christie for offside just after the restart and Sopoaga, due to foul play from Joe Wheeler.
Instead, two Reds penalties extended their lead, before Liam Squire fed All Blacks No.9 Smith to score in the left corner.
After concerted Highlanders pressure on the Reds’ tryline, Fekitoa dived over under the posts and then, with a tap back to his five-eighth on his own 22, set up a remarkable 80-metre run and try from Sapoaga.
The only downside in a great night for the Reds was Rob Simmons leaving the field with a shoulder injury just before the interval.
R2D2
Guest
Gutsy win, now maintain it.
soapit
Guest
well you sure went off on a bit of a tangent there didnt you. youre right, i dont know any examples off the top of my head. this was the specific reason i would have had to go find those examples i wasnt interested in finding just to convince you. so points to you for getting that right, tho the fact youve restated it makes me think you in truth didnt catch it the first time and are only now catching up so i might just hold onto those points for now sorry. unfortunately your lame misguided attempt to insult me hasnt given me any additional encouragement to want to discuss this with you so im still not interesting in expanding this particular pointless discussion topic with you.
In brief
Guest
Reds must one regathered more than 50% of them - the tactic worked well on the night
RedandBlack
Guest
Well played Reds - shows what can be done when everyone gets a bit fizzy and says 'B- it, we're going forward'. A bit of heart and guts and team ethic will always go a long way on the rugby field. So, although I would far rather the result had gone the other way for financial as well as countryman reasons - I applaud the 'back to basics, give it to them' mindset the Reds are showing.
pjm
Roar Rookie
I was impressed with Ben, he showed good speed.
pjm
Roar Rookie
That was unnecessary. That's just like someone telling all of us to shut up because none of us played international rugby.
Boz the Younger
Guest
Schatz gets pushed off the mark too much but Korzjak is even worse. Perhaps they could put Brad Thorn on the bench and play Ben Matwijou at 8?
Boz the Younger
Guest
I didn't mind Martin's commentary until he threw an enormous hissy fit at O'Connor for defending Quade Cooper by pointing out one of Martin's own mistakes from his playing days. There is nothing worse than a man who can dish it out but not take it.
taylorman
Roar Guru
You've missed my point Zero. He made the point in reference to his own standards being lowered. He didn't take up the issue of the increasing frequency of the tendency to perform neck rolling as a defensive tactic, and how it should be stamped out. There's a difference. And if anythings hilarious, it's your tendency to fly off the handle...again.
Spanners
Guest
Kafer was irrelevant with his commentary in the 2nd half when on 4 occasions he mentioned that "Qld just need to get back to doing what they did in the 1st half". Pretty sure they would have loved to Kaf, just that in a 2 horse race, there is another pony also trying to win.... Bulls and Stormers in SA will be a hell of a tough fortnight coming up for the Reds. Fingers crossed they don't pick up any more injuries. With the squad at near full-strength this weekend, they look a class above the injury-riddled Qld teams of the past couple of seasons. Hendrik Tui has been brilliant this year.
Zero Gain
Guest
Pocock did take the lead on it and did focus attention on the incident and how unacceptable it was. If you could just take his statement without reading so much into it you would have realised that. But many were too busy trying to paint Pocock as some sort of self-interested monster to do that. It is quite hilarious really.
hog
Guest
Agreed, Martin at least show's some passion. I like him on 360, its refreshing hearing someone that at least doesn't read from some pre-prepared script.We could do with a couple more like him in Aus.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yeah well we're doing the same now. I'd have like to have seen Pocock take the lead on it with his apology. If the best flanker in World rugby has that as an option, even for that one isolated scenario, then there are probably some thinking they can do it as well, wisely or not. As two high profile players from the World cup, Pocock and Leach could both lead the way in stamping it out, sharing their experience and together getting it knocked on the head...figuratively speaking of course. You just get the feeling that if we are discussing similar incidents two weeks in a row in the same competition, you'd hate for something to happen when the warnings been out there front and Center.
Paul
Guest
Yep the conversation was derailed by people saying Pococks a good bloke. There certainly wasnt even the slightest hint of tall poppy syndrome...
taylorman
Roar Guru
We also had the opportunity to raise the awareness of the neck roll through a profile as big as Pococks, who could still lead the way on this issue, but were too busy worrying about his reputation.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Well I got two pathetics, one biased, one 'eyed' and one hypocritical. But the 'and' is pretty low, even for ZG.? Yeah agree. World Rugby/ SANZAR needs to take a stance on neck rolls. It's becoming a preferred and common method of de-stabilising an individual from the opposition at the breakdown. If commentators are referring to several instances on a weekend then it's only a matter of time before someone is paralysed, especially if the penalties are limp. Perhaps Wheeler should be cited, perhaps Pocock should have got more and I'll bet a million bucks that would have been the case if someone had been paralysed earlier in the season from a neck roll. The ambulance at the bottom of the cliff isn't going to be there for much longer. These discussions need to start now.
ClarkeG
Guest
Taylor I don’t know why ZG doesn’t tell you what he really thinks. :-) But seriously I agree these types of actions need to cease. There is a simple answer. All they need to do is outlaw body rolls which were made permissible in a 2014 law clarification. The head roll has become an extension or consequence of the body roll.
pjm
Roar Rookie
Because you don't know any, you're just parroting what other people have said as it is the current zeitgeist to slam Australian commentators. Do you want a cracker, polly?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Why not open that it wasn't as bad as Pococks Paul because that is exactly what I mean about the very discussion of it. Pococks actions were different than Wheelers. It was more than a neck roll in the one action. He first had him in a prolonged choke where Leach was tapping him out. The effects on the victim are different in each respect. That is called 'discussion'. Then it became a neck roll when he maintained contact while the went to ground, so he had a lot longer to think about, and therefore do something about the situation. I don't care who did the worse act, but one certainly was different, and worse than the other so both have different discussion points. Trouble is, none of that discussion was allowed last week because we couldnt get past how grand a guy Pocock was for apologising.
ClarkeG
Guest
Well no Paul it’s not nitpicking - it is the facts. Pocock’s sanction was 2 weeks which was extended to 3 weeks as in one of those 2 weeks he did not have a game scheduled.