Dominant Chiefs defence led them to a 24-3 victory over the Reds, giving the understrength Chiefs their first victory over the Reds since 2009 and showing that they are building some form heading into the finals.
The primary difference between the two teams was defence: the Chiefs defence was fantastic, and the Reds defence was poor. Despite continued set piece dominance in both the scrum and the lineout, the Reds struggled to get the ball to Cooper when they had dominance early, and when Cooper finally managed to find runners in space, the scrambling Chiefs defence had the Reds covered every time.
The disappointing Reds performance gave Genia and Horwill (and Hanson, and maybe Cooper too) a sad send off to good servants of Queensland rugby who deserved better.
First Half
The Reds ran out onto the field with plenty of emotion, before a 1 minute silence for the tragic passing of Jerry Collins.
The Reds showed intent to hold onto the ball early, reaching 15 phases with their first use of the ball before Genia grubbered ahead under an advantage. The Reds turned down a kickable penalty to take a 5m lineout. However, Slipper couldn’t hold onto the slippery ball.
From the ensuing Chiefs scrum the Reds drove through easily, earning a tighthead and then a penalty. Cooper duly kicked the penalty, giving the Reds an early 3 – 0 lead after 5 minutes. It was also the last time the Reds would score in the game, despite multiple opportunities.
The Reds earnt another scrum penalty, and went hot on attack again. Kerevi made a half break before Cooper straightened and threw a lovely wide ball to Turner. Turner just failed to get outside his man or to find the unmarked man inside. The Reds stole the Chiefs lineout and a got another penalty. Genia took a quick tap, but was just forced out as the ball was placed. However, the Chiefs were inside the 10, and the Reds took the lineout.
Off the lineout the Reds were driven back, but again Cooper found space with a sweet pass to JOC, who beat his man but slipped over with the tryline begging and an unmarked man outside.
In the 17th minute the Reds opted for a kick at goal from a penalty. Cooper, however, pushed the relatively easy penalty out to the left.
The Chiefs had their first attacking chance in the 19th minute, kicking a penalty to 10m from the Reds line, but the Reds dominance at the set piece continued and the Reds stole their second lineout of the night. However, the initial period of Reds dominance had ended.
It was the Chiefs turn build some pressure in attack, and the Reds defence looked a little ragged. In the 21st minute a dart from the back of a ruck by Pulu caught the Reds defenders napping, and the Reds desperate Reds defence were offside at the next ruck. In what was a theme from the night, the Chiefs turned down the kickable penalty, but the Reds lineout again stole the Chiefs ball.
However, the inevitable Chiefs try came soon after. A 15m Chiefs maul was illegally stopped by Hanson. From the 5m lineout, the Chiefs maul could only go sideways, however that gave Pulu the room to come back on the blind. A wide Pulu pass found Bryce Heem, who was able to beat the desperate attention of Turner. Horrell kicked the conversion, and the Chiefs were up 7 – 3 after 25 minutes.
From here it was all the Chiefs, and the next try was just a matter of time. Despite their scrum being under pressure, the Chiefs still got their ball out and over multiple phases worked their way 35m up field to just metres from the Reds tryline. The Chiefs went wide to Horrell, and a desperate Cooper tackle dragged him down just shy of the tryline. From what seemed a mile away came Messam steaming across field in a brilliant unders line to catch out the stretched Reds defence. Horrell again converted, to see the Chiefs extend their lead to 14 – 3 after 32 minutes.
The final 5 minutes of the half belonged to the Reds, marked at one stage by the Chiefs not trusting their own lineout and opting to take a tap from a penalty in their own half. In the 39th minute Chiefs number 8 Leitch was (perhaps harshly) binned for repeated Chiefs ruck infringements. The Reds knocked on just 10m out, but with just seconds to play the scrum was called. The Reds won their third tighthead of the half against the 7 man Chiefs scrum. From another penalty to the Reds Genia took a quick tap and darted over the line, only to bomb a certain try as a desperate Pulu hand knocked the ball free.
The Chiefs went into the sheds 14 – 3 up, with the Reds guilty of not taking their chances (bombing two certain tries) and some frail defence. The Chiefs dominated for 15 minutes of the first half to the Reds almost 25, but it was enough to score two tries and take a deserved half time lead, despite the dominance of the Reds set piece.
Second Half
The Reds set piece dominance continued where it left off in the first half. Hunt knocked on the ball with some space in the Reds half, but the Reds scrum won another tighthead and then penalty against the Chiefs 7 man scrum, with Leitch in the bin.
In a mirror of the first half, the Reds placed some early pressure on the Chiefs, however it came to naught. A wild pass from Hunt saw Turner with a magic one-handed take, as the Reds worked their way to just 5m out. A penalty saw the Reds opt for the scrum. The Chiefs somehow managed to stop the scrum drive despite retreating a metre. A few phases later saw Genia pass to no-one, and the Chiefs picked it up and kicked downfield.
From there, the Reds were under constant pressure from aggressive Chiefs defence, with the Chiefs earning a penalty for the Reds holding on. Horrell duly stepped up and kicked the penalty from 45m out, and with no ball so far in the second half the Chiefs had extended their lead to 17 – 3 in the 50th minute.
The momentum was now swinging back to the Chiefs. A Pulu ran saw him not held, and after getting up and going again was unlucky to chip the ball out on the full. Another kick ahead a short time later saw desperate sweeping from JOC, having to carry the ball back over his own line. Interestingly, the Reds opted to then sub the dominant Holmes right before the 5m Chiefs scrum, but Talakai continued the good work in the scrum and the Reds managed a relieving penalty.
From here the game ebbed and flowed for a while, as neither team really dominated. The Chiefs defence, though, proved too hard for the Reds to crack, as the Reds continually struggled to make inroads. At one stage, the Reds had a great chance to counter from their own 22 as Cooper swept back and threw a wide pass to an unmarked Kerevi, but hustling Chiefs defence once again shut down Kerevi and then CFS, which was the story of the night.
Horrell failed to extend the Chiefs lead in the 66th minute, pushing a 45m penalty attempt just to the right.
The Chiefs did not have to wait long to get their next points. In the 68th minute, Messam released Ngatai down the wing, who was just stopped by a Genia tackle forcing Ngatai into touchat the same time as he offloaded inside. From the ensuing lineout, Retallick stole the Reds ball for the only time of the night. The Chiefs spun the ball wide to Ngatai, who easily stepped inside a sliding Cooper to score. Horrell nailed the conversion, and the Chiefs were now up 24 – 3 after 70 minutes.
For the last 10 minutes it was a desperate scramble as both teams chanced their arm on attack.
Desperate Chiefs defence denied Genia for a third time in the 73rd minute. A dynamic Genia wrapped around Cooper to find a yawning gap, but the scrambling Chiefs defence dragged him down just 2m from the tryline. The Reds again came away with nothing, as they knocked on a few phases later.
The Reds were now in an attacking mood, desperate to score a try. Cooper unleashed JOC with a nice wide ball, followed by a JOC offload to Turner in the tackle. Turner was tackled just 5m out. Under a penalty advantage, Cooper overcooked a cross field kick to the free CFS to bomb yet another try. The Reds opted to take the scrum from the advantage.
However, it all came to naught as again the Reds went wide and found space, and again the last ditch Chiefs defence held as Heem forced the ball free from Turner just a metre from the line.
From the 5m scrum, the Chiefs chanced their arm and again exposed the soft Reds defence. They made it to halfway before losing the ball. From the scrum a Cooper flick pass unleashed Kerevi midfield, with the ball (once again) finding Turner in space. Yet again the Chiefs scrambling defence were up to the task, and a desperate Turner pass infield went to no-one.
The Chiefs swooped on the ball, going left then right before finding Ngatai in a load of space. Ngatai ran 65m untouched to score under the posts after the siren. However, there was drama still to play out. The ref went to the TMO, who found a Messam knock-on from the Turner pass, thus denying the Chiefs their bonus point try, and ending the game with a comfortable Chiefs victory 24 – 3.
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The Game Changer
In the first 20 minutes, it was all the Reds. After that, it took the Chiefs just 5 minutes to score their first try, and from there the Chiefs never looked back, and the Reds were never in the game again. The Reds will look back with regret at their two blown tries in the first half.
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The G&GR MOTM
Without a doubt, Chiefs halfback Augustine Pulu, celebrating his 50th game for the Chiefs in style. Ran and schemed well, threw the final pass for the first two Chiefs tries, and stopped a certain Reds try after knocking the ball out of Genia’s hands. Otherwise, it was the fantastic Chiefs defence that was the story of the night.
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Wallaby watch
The Reds front row of Slipper, Hanson and Holmes dominated the scrums. The Reds lineout picked off Chiefs ball at ease, and lost just of their own (but a costly one it was). Genia looked more like his old self, despite slow service at times and bombed tries. Cooper wasn’t as effective as last week, but he still managed to find plenty of space for his runners.
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The Details
Crowd: TBA
Score & Scorers
[one_half last=”no”]Reds: 3
Tries: –
Conversions: –
Penalties: Cooper (1/2) [/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]Chiefs: 24
Tries: Heem, Messam, Ngatai
Conversions: Horrell (3/3)
Penalties: Horrell (1/2) [/one_half]
Cards & citings
39th minute: Michael Leitch yellow
