3. Suncorp Bore-a-thon
Yes the game on Saturday night was a turgid mess. But really have you ever seen a game of rugby involving the Stormers that was remotely entertaining?? They are the black holes of Super Rugby- they suck everything bright and creative in and don’t give you anything in return. Their defence is as brilliant as their attack is terrible. So playing them is always hard work, for both the opponent and the fans.
With that in mind I thought the Reds did quite well, and should be happy with the four points. It is impossible to look good playing the Stormers, it is purely about utility: make your tackles, stay patient, take your penalties and keep the scoreboard ticking over. The Queenslanders did all of these things, which is all the more impressive when you consider their recent form and injury list.
They have ticker in spades, and with a little bit of polish they can still challenge for the finals. But they need to win a couple more games in a row before they can be classified as genuine contenders. This week against the Force will be yet another litmus test. Once again it might be wise to put away the razzle-dazzle and just get the points. But against arguably the form side of the comp it will be very difficult.
