The Queensland Reds cemented their Super 14 semi-final credentials with a 19-12 victory over defending champions the Bulls in a tense match in Brisbane yesterday.
The Reds, in fourth place on 30 points, exploited a tiring Bulls pack in the second half after both sides had embarked on an intense and high-tempo game plan from the outset.
The home side scored two tries, both from turnovers by blindside flanker Scott Higginbotham and winger Rod Davies, while Quade Cooper slotted three penalties.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Reds then produced a superb defensive effort in the final 10 minutes after Bulls replacement Pedrie Wannenburg had grabbed a try to give the South Africans a sniff of victory.
“Outstanding effort. We spoke about application, effort and attitude before the game, and we came out and did all those things,” Reds captain Will Genia said in a TV interview. “We [have learned] how to win tight games and how to stay in the contest, and we definitely did that.”
The Reds dominated the opening exchanges, but Bulls flanker Derick Kuun opened the scoring with a try in the fifth minute after the visitors counterattacked from deep inside their own half.
Morne Steyn added the conversion before the home side got on the board when Higginbotham outsprinted two Bulls backs to Genia’s long-range speculative kick that rolled into open space close to the line.
Cooper missed the conversion, but added a penalty to send the home side into the break with an 8-7 lead, after Steyn had missed a kickable penalty as the halftime hooter sounded.
Flyhalf Cooper added two penalties early in the second half, before Davies finished a sweeping backline movement from 60m out after the Reds had stolen the ball from a Bulls lineout.
The Bulls, however, found a second wind as they emptied their bench and replacement Wannenburg gave his side hope when he pounced on untidy ball from a Reds defensive scrum to make the score 19-12 with less than 10 minutes remaining.
“It was a great game, both teams carried the ball quite a bit and they kept it very well, and we couldn’t get our hands on it,” Bulls captain Victor Matfield said. “They built phases and really tested our defense ... well done to them, they played well.”
■CRUSADERS 45, CHEETAHS 6
REUTERS, AUCKLAND, New Zealand
An understrength Canterbury Crusaders moved to the top of the Super 14 table after crushing the Cheetahs in Christchurch yesterday.
The Crusaders, without injured All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter and with several other internationals on the bench or rested by coach Todd Blackadder, moved to 34 points, one ahead of the Bulls.
The Crusaders were ruthless up front with their scrum particularly destructive, while the Cheetahs seemed more intent on keeping the score down than attempting to win the game.
“I thought as the game wore on it had the potential to loosen up, but the guys stuck to their tasks really well and I’m quite pleased about that,” Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said in a TV interview.
The Crusaders’ forward dominance was evident throughout, with scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali’i opening the scoring when he scampered more than 50m after the Crusaders upset the Cheetahs scrum.
Center Ryan Crotty scored after a sustained buildup by the forwards created an overlap, then No. 8 Thomas Waldrom scored the first of his two tries.
Waldrom scored his second try from a push-over by the Canterbury scrum just before halftime to secure a bonus point.
Colin Slade added three conversions for the home side to put the game beyond doubt with a 26-6 score at the break, after Riaan Viljoen and Meyer Bosman, who replaced the injured Viljoen, slotted penalties for the Cheetahs.
The Cheetahs continued to endeavor in the second half, without providing any real threat to the Crusaders, who scored three further tries to winger Sean Maitland, prop Ben Franks and replacement winger Zac Guildford.
■BLUES 38, FORCE 17
REUTERS, AUCKLAND, New Zealand
All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko scored a hat-trick of tries to spark the Auckland Blues to victory over the Western Force in their Super 14 match at Eden Park yesterday, keeping alive their slim playoffs hopes.
Tony Woodcock, Alby Mathewson and Rudi Wulf also scored tries for the home side, while Luke McAlister slotted four conversions as the Blues moved to seventh in the table on 25 points.
The Blues, who now head to South Africa for three matches, are four points behind the fourth-placed New South Wales Waratahs (29 points), who have a bye week.
“It’s a great way to head away and nice for the boys to open up [and score some tries],” Blues captain Keven Mealamu said in a TV interview. “I thought that was a really good team effort.”
The opening 10 minutes were blighted by poor handling, elementary errors and terrible decision making by both sides, with the Western Force’s James O’Connor slotting just one of his three penalty attempts.
The Blues finally began to gain some territory and string phases together, and Rokocoko imposed himself on the match with two tries within 10 minutes, while he also sparked the move that led to prop Woodcock’s try.
McAlister, given the goal-kicking duties ahead of Stephen Brett, made two awful attempts before he converted two of the tries to give the home side a 19-3 lead at the break.
Mathewson opened the scoring in the second half when he took a quick tap-penalty and was untroubled by any of the Force defenders. Rokocoko completed his hat-trick shortly after following a superb short pass from McAlister.
Rudi Wulf scored the Blues’ sixth try with 15 minutes remaining, but the Force scored two consolation tries in the final five minutes to openside flanker David Pocock and a penalty try to end the game.
O’Connor converted both.
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