The Queensland Reds walked the knife edge to Auckland’s garden of Eden Park, but entered the sheds at half time needing much more than a mere fig leaf to hide their shame.
Forgive the overwrought clichés in both title and intro – after a dire match (at least for Australian rugby fans), I am left in want of some flourish.
The Match
Quade Cooper’s 100th Queensland Reds match opened solidly for both teams. The first seven minutes saw a good amount of open rugby played. Neither team challenged the other too much – each seemed to just work through the phases, blowing the cobwebs out.
In the eighth, Rob Simmons was penalised for entering the ruck from the side. After a long advantage, play was called back in expression only; referee Nick Briant retreated no more than three metres, when the penalty had been given ten metres back, well into the Blues’ half. With the extra gifted territory, Blues 10. Simon Hickey opened what would be a 100% record for the night. Shortly thereafter, and in their second foray into the Reds’ 22, the Blues were awarded another easy shot. 6-0 Blues, with Quade missing two penalties at the other end.
In the 22nd minute and on attack in the Blues 22, Liam Gill made a half break, quickly got to his feet and ran in under the posts. In a somewhat semantical, but correct ruling, he was deemed to have been tackled, and the try was not given.
For the first 30 minutes, the Reds were competitive. While shut down well in midfield, there was regularly space out wide, as the Blues left men in the backfield awaiting any ball kicked away. The space was, however, hardly capitalised upon. On the first sniff of a half-chance, the Reds would kick the ball away or chance some other low percentage option, and the Blues had the numbers there to tidy up.
Nonetheless, at 30 minutes, territory was split 49-51 and territory 50-50, and the score only 6-0. The Reds seemed lucky to be that close, and but this was soon amended.
In the 40th, the Blues stacked the left side off a scrum, worked their numbers and with Chris Feauai-Sautia having three to mark, the Blues went in in the corner. 13-0. Soon thereafter, James Slipper saw yellow for a tip tackle on Blues 6. Peter Saili, and seconds before halftime, the Blues capitalised on their numbers.
With Mike Harris packing down at 6, Ma’a Nonu continued what had already been an excellent performance. With Harris on the scrum, the Reds had nobody behind the line. A Nonu grubber right on the line found space in behind, and left the Reds flat-footed with only a desperate Chris Feauai-Sautia having any chance of saving the try, but his efforts were in vain (and pain – he went off immediate afterward with a shoulder concern).
Half time, Blues 20-0.
The second half in its entirety was much like the opening ten minutes of the first half. Though the Blues opened with another try well set-up by Nonu, the Reds swung the pendulum the other way for most of the next 25 minutes, with near-constant pressure on the Blues line.
In the 48th, and after 18 phases, the Reds were hot on attack on the Blues line. Quade Cooper, famed for his bullet long pass, ran at a group of inside defenders, leaving Mike Harris in a mile of space off to his left. Quade didn’t throw the pass, took the ball into contact and, heavily outnumbered, turned it over. Another frustration endemic to the Reds’ season 2014. Two minutes later, the Blues were in down the other end. 34-0 Blues.
A few minutes later, and a few weeks after the last one, Reds 6. Eddie Quirk wore a punch at the ruck, only this time, the thrower was actually carded. With Tony Woodcock in the bin, the Reds finally turned on a period of dominance. Ben Daley soon went in at the back of a well-constructed maul, Schatz was denied by the TMO and Horwill went in under the posts all in little more than ten minutes.
With the game still out of the Reds’ reach, the Blues wound down the clock with some steady possession. Reds replacement scrumhalf Nick Frisby held the Blues up, but soon offered young Bues replacement Ihaia West an intercept try in the 78th. Full time, 44-14 Blues.
The second half was much better from the Reds, but the game was virtually over the horizon by the 50th minute. It’s all about saving face from here.
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The Game Changer
The Blues were already up 14-0, but James Slipper’s yellow card in the 35th opened the door for the Blues to get some real momentum. The subsequent fifteen minutes saw the Blues score 21 points, and the game disappeared from there for the Reds.
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The G&GR MOTM
Happily for Australian fans, Will Genia had his best game in Red in a long time. His service off the deck has vastly improved, his kicking game was long and incisive, and his running game showed glimmers of its glory days.
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Wallaby watch
Apart from Genia? Chris Feauai-Sautia did pretty well for his minutes on the park, and Ben Tapuai continued his form resurgence (though realistically, there are still a number of Wallaby centre candidates ahead of him). Not much else.
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The Details
Crowd: 15,000 approx.
Score & Scorers
[one_half last=”no”]Blues: 44
Tries: J. Willison, L. Visinia, B. Hall, T. Donnelly, I. West
Conversions: S. Hickey 4, I. West 1
Penalties: S. Hickey 3 [/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]Reds: 14
Tries: B. Daley, J. Horwill
Conversions: Q. Cooper 2
Penalties: none [/one_half]
Cards & citings
J. Slipper – Yellow Card (35:00)
T. Woodcock – Yellow Card (53:00)
