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.
Peter Brooker
Guest
Haven’t watched replay but Richie Mongrels high late tackle was best red card offence I’ve seen in ages
Paulo
Roar Rookie
The stats and studies I’ve seen suggest a bias towards the team with the home crowd. This is one of the unspoken advantages of home ground advantage I suppose. What does that say about the state of Rugby in Aus with home ground advantage being massively in favour of them fkr the last few seasons and still having poor results? The thing that’s frustrating for me, is this always comes out when an Aus team loses. But if they benefit, not a whisper is heard from the formally aggrieved crowd.
El Flash
Roar Rookie
I'm just loving some of the comments here about the ref & how if it had been a neutral ref the score line may well have been different with a possible Reds win on the cards !! WAKE UP !! When will people realise that the Crusaders do all they need to do to win games. In most instances they have a 6th & 7th gear they rarely use & they certainly didn't need those gears against the Reds. It had absolutely nothing to do with the refereeing. They got belted up front, in fact it was embarrassing how easily the Reds pack got dismantled. At one stage the Crusaders pack rolled almost 40 metres down the ground, the Reds pack helpless to do anything about it. Let's not bother even trying to compare the 2 backlines, as it looked at times as if the Reds defensive patterns looked like something you might witness in a College match. But again, with Mou'nga at the helm the Crusaders backline did just enough without raising a sweat. But let's blame the refs OK. Yeh sure !!
Zulu
Guest
Never fear, The Reds are in safe hands moving forward. Coach Thorn has recruited for next season a part-time Sparky Brickie Painter Plasterer Scaffolder and Diesel Mechanic.
Joe King
Roar Rookie
Sort of. A couple of years building. Reds became the best Oz team. No Oz team did well last year against Kiwis last year. Only this year was it really possible to identify the problem against Kiwi teams. I think he's earned at least another year. And even then, I'm not a subscriber to the view that it's always the coaches fault. He has lost a couple of good forwards. And the younger players coming through the Red's system are often raided by others.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Daugunu hasn’t made a tackle in three years . All wingers are expected to catch balls , run up field and score tries . Super Rugby wingers are expected to make tackles.
CUW
Roar Rookie
yeah right - u mean a team that struggled to get to semi finals? maybe have a look at Harry's super rugger team of the season - DUH
Oblosnky’s Other Pun
Guest
Thorn has been the coach for five years. If the Reds have a poor set piece then he bears a considerable degree of the responsibility. He also has perhaps the best assistant coaching team in Aus. The buck stops with Thorn.
ozziedude
Roar Rookie
Rightio…
ozziedude
Roar Rookie
Im a fullback with no idea of scrums, but even i found that advice hilarious!
Reds Harry
Roar Rookie
Yes there are some studies that show refs are biased towards the home sides - no matter what sport or location. Anyway the Brumbies gave us a masterclass in how to play against a NZ side reffed by a ''hard to understand'' NZ ref in the second half last night, by adapting their play to his strange interpretations. A rare event. Though the Canberra crowd probs also influenced him.
mick
Guest
As I said above - I don't think that the Reds played well and they weren't really in the game. The set piece has become a disaster - who did it go from excellent to terrible so quickly? Something really isn't right with the Reds this season. BUT as I'm saying, it's not even a perception of bias - it IS a bias. There's a mountain load of statistics to back this up. Whether it is a bias as a result of nation/state/club or rather their perception of which team should be "ascendant" it's still a very real bias. The problem is getting the organizers (and supporters) to acknowledge it. Earlier incarnations of SR seemed to get this and I'm guessing that in order to cut costs they have chosen for the last 6 or so years to not deal with it. I guess those financial pressures are real, but I think organizers aren't quantifying how much damage they do to their product by not spending more on the refereeing. It would be better for fans, teams and the referees themselves if they find a better way of rotating referees. Also NZRU should absolutely ditch the embedded referee concept. That's making the bias even worse.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
So like now then but a lot quicker!
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Its those sneaky slurps from the wine that sneak up on you!
jonnyacidseed
Roar Rookie
"6 phase or 10mtrs for pen adv." Nope. Because that will just mean that the players with the pen advantage will just do a deliberate knock-on etc to ensure they get the penalty kick.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Especially if you're a Queerslander!!!
Keef with a beef
Guest
No, not the dumbest thing said tonight.
Danny McGowan
Roar Rookie
Or his lifters, but take your point as it can be. You would be surprised how many times a lifter etc hasn't timed his step forward etc and will lose quite a bit of lift.
Reds Harry
Roar Rookie
Refs will always favour the home team, regardless of code or circumstances. I have said before that SR needs neutral refs in bigger games, if only to avoid the perception of bias. The Crusaders scrum was definitely on top last night, and hard to whinge about the string of penalties that flowed accordingly. The reds might have been in touch on the scoreboard but IMO were never really a chance to win. I admit to getting my hopes up after the great try after the start of the second half and then having a kickable penalty, but Lawson missed it, and that really was that.
JamesD
Guest
Refs across the board have a lot to work on but there weren't "a lot of shockers" in this game and your post would have more credibility if there weren't ref complaints on this website after every single Reds loss. But you keep watching with your red eye open bud.