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After a high-intensity, high-pressure and occasionally brutal sudden death quarter final, won by Canterbury Crusaders 37-15 over Queensland Reds, Scott Barrett sounded like a club captain addressing his opponents in the post-match function.
“To the Reds, you’ve been camped over here for weeks in a Christchurch winter. You threw everything at us. And we’d like to wish you all the best … the finals intensity and physicality went up another level,” Barrett said.
Reds co-captain Liam Wright was equally magnanimous. “Credit to the Crusaders, they were brilliant tonight. We stuck it to them for 50 minutes, which is all that we wanted to ask. We knew the odds were against us but we can be proud of the effort.
“We fronted up physically, we took a step forward. But the Crusaders were too good,” Wright said, effectively summarising the match.
The teams traded penalty goals early before fullback Will Jordan popped up as he often does to score the Crusaders first try after pressure from his forwards close out.
The Reds capitalised on untidy work by the Crusaders at the lineout to swing the ball across field where Jordan Petaia found a good man in the circumstances – Suliasi Vunivalu, who did plenty to bash through the defence to score in the corner.
Richie Mo’unga landed two penalty goals and made an eight-point lead before the first half ended dramatically when the Reds threw a lineout throw to Codie Taylor, a bad choice. They all were – the Kiwis counter-attack like so many rapids. Even when they kick it away they get it back, often as not.
Television found a knock-on in the maelstrom to end the half. But it was ominous. And Queensland’s attack was brave but battering against a wall.
“It’s what wins you finals,” former All Blacks captain Kieran Read said. “Their defence has been outstanding … it makes the Reds go ‘wow – we’ve gone through 10 or 12 phases but we’re not getting anywhere. What do we do next?’”
On top of that, the Reds scrum was dominated like The Students versus The Masters in The Meaning of Life. They were lucky to go half-time down just 16-8. At half-time the TV win predictor had the Reds with a 4% likelihood of a win.
Yet the Reds came out flying. They won a scrum then a 50/22 in the second minute. Then the lineout set free a fine backline play that saw Filipo Daugunu scorch away, celebrating from 10 metres out.
“It was a beautifully worked set piece,” Read said. “And on the back of a scrum that worked, they’ll be happy with the start.”
Lawson Creighton thumped the conversion purely and suddenly it was a one-point game.
When the Reds won a penalty following sustained pressure, Creighton missed from 45m.
Crusaders’ defence was staunch, as it had been all game. But the Reds kept coming at them, running hard. When Ryan Smith won a turnover from a dangerous lineout, with a warning for a sin bin on their minds, Queensland exalted on field and in the coach’s box.
Then their scrum folded again. Mo’unga tapped and went. Then stepped. Then scored. Then landed the conversion. And it was eight points again.
Harry Wilson celebrated a scrum penalty like he’d landed a long shot at Eagle Farm. Brad Thorn thumped his desk in empathy.
Ethan Blackadder, who’d been huge, walked off holding a broken wrist like it might fall apart.
Then the Crusaders scored try of the match: multiple hands, huge passes, long runs, big steps before Sevu Reece iced the cake.
Tate McDermott copped a knock to the head from the flying Leicester Faninga’anuku on the way. Didn’t move. Went off on the medi-cab.
He got up again but with him went any hope of an upset. The Crusaders had found their rhythm, had found themselves. And the points flowed like the rapids of the Tongariro, with M’ounga throwing passes like missiles.
Yet the Reds held firm. Fraser McReight was industrious. So was Hunter Paisami. Daugunu – the Reds’ best – twice collected high balls and run up field.
But the Crusaders were a wall of tough meat. And the penalties were 16-8 against Queensland.
Tamaiti Williams, scored, a former Kalamunda Bull. Mo’unga converted. And Queensland headed home to Brisbane to rest – and warm up – their battered and weary bones.