The Queensland Reds are savouring a thrilling last-gasp 40-38 Super Rugby AU triumph over the defending champions Brumbies in Canberra.
A spectacular try a minute from fulltime to Wallabies centre Jordan Petaia snatched a Reds victory from the jaws of defeat in a classic on Saturday night.
Winners of 18 of their previous 19 games in the national capital, the Brumbies looked to be cruising again after racing to a 17-0 lead inside a quarter of an hour and, in the second half, at one stage led 31-16.
“We like to make it hard on ourselves,” delighted Reds coach Brad Thorn said after the match.
Led by destructive front-rower Taniela Tupou and some excellent game-management from born-again skipper James O’Connor, the Reds reeled in the Brumbies with seconds to spare to complete the Houdini act.
“Putting those plays together with the pressure of the game clock and the score, and then that final play … it was good in the end,” Thorn said.
Back-rower Harry Wilson, one of Queensland’s many heroes, paid tribute to the calm assurance of O’Connor after the Reds avenged their 2020 grand final loss and became the only unbeaten side in 2021.
“I guess with about 30 to go we were down by about 15 and pretty frantic and he [O’Connor] kept on telling us there’s a lot of footy to be played.
AAP: Mick Tsikas
)“Even with five minutes to go and we were down by eight, he was saying: ‘There’s a lot of footy to be played, just back ourselves.’ It’s nice having our senior playmaker say that and giving us confidence there.”
Tupou almost single-handedly dragged the Reds back into the contest, helping to force a succession of second-half scrum penalties then scoring a powerhouse try.
Wilson then scored Queensland’s third try to reduce the deficit to just five points.
But a 72nd-minute try to replacement Brumbies winger Issak Fines, after a lovely last pass from Pete Samu, appeared to have snuffed out the Reds’ comeback.
Then, Hunter Paisami prodded a deft grubber kick behind the line in the final minute, which Petaia remarkably touched down after dancing around the goalpost and beating two Brumbies players to the touch, levelling the scores, allowing O’Connor to convert from in front for victory.
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“I knew if we stuck in the fight, we’d come through. I have tremendous belief in my teammates and we just have to stick in, minute-by-minute,” O’Connor said.
Suliasi Vunivalu showed glimpses of why many observers are tipping him to be a force for the Wallabies, as well as illustrating just how much still needs to be done to turn him into a genuine Test-standard winger.
On his starting debut for the Reds, the former NRL star bagged his maiden Super Rugby AU try while also saving another five-pointer with his blinding speed.
But he also looked shaky under the high ball, and positionally naive when flying off his wing to allow the Brumbies to cross out wide for their third try late in the first half.
Samu and Folau Faingaa scored two each for the Brumbies to seemingly set Dan McKellar’s men on their way to a nine-point lead at the top of the Super Rugby AU ladder.
But the Reds had the final say after throwing everything at the Brumbies in pursuit of a first win in the national capital in seven years.
“I thought that was a great showcase of Australian rugby,” O’Connor said.
The Reds are now three wins from three matches in Super Rugby AU, but Thorn said mistakes are still being made and there was still plenty of room for improvement from his side.
“We’re still a bit clunky, we’ve still got work to do,” Thorn said.
ABC/AAP
