Author: Shane Sullivan

This was a game that all but the diehard fans thought they couldn’t win! But by 3:00 am AEST on Sunday the Reds had achieved the seemingly impossible: they had taken apart the Stormers’ defensive line and beaten them 19–6. It was the nature of the win that was most impressive. This wasn’t the run-at-all-costs Reds that we had seen in the past, the one that fell apart at crucial moments in the season. The Reds last night were composed. Will Genia and Quade Cooper led them around the field like seasoned 15-year professionals, not the very young men they…

Week 8: One o’clock Sunday morning brings us a top-of-the-table clash of monumental proportions. The Stormers play their rugby out of Cape Town and bring power and an almost impenetrable defence to the game, while the Queensland Reds bring speed and unpredictable attacking flair. They are two very good teams playing to two very different game plans. The Stormers have retained the team that won against the Sharks — that’s never a good sign for opposition sides looking to move up the ladder. They will try to dominate with their magnificently balanced forward pack and play for field position off the…

The Lions came into this match with one win from six matches, having lost four-from-five by less than seven points. The Reds were sitting atop the Australian conference with four wins, but still looking for the attacking form they showed last year. After the game nothing much has changed: the Lions are still picking up losing bonus points, and the Reds are winning without appearing to be in form. The afternoon match started with promise as both sides looked to play attacking rugby. The Lions employed the old head and accurate boot of Andre Pretorius to keep the Reds pinned…

On Saturday at 2:40 pm the Reds play their first game against a team outside the Australian Conference. They come up against a Cheetahs side buoyed by their first-ever win on Australian soil. Their win against the Waratahs was a lesson in sticking to your game plan. They attacked the Waratahs’ ruck and set piece with vigour, played it tight and kicked for field position. Heinrich Brüssow’s pilfering gave his side a ton of possession, while the rest of the forwards took every opportunity to smash their opponents off the ball. The Waratah backs had no easier time with Berrick…

The family and I went along to Suncorp Stadium on Friday night to watch the Reds take on the Melbourne Rebels. We were confident of a win — Gillian (known as Redslug on Superbru) had picked Queensland to win by 5; I was even more confident to the tune of 12 points, mainly due to Mark Gerrard’s absence, which I believed would have a significant effect on Melbourne’s game. What we saw was a 53-to-3 massacre that seemed to come out of nowhere. As a Reds fan, it would be easy for me to fall into the trap of praising…