Hamish Stewart yesterday nailed a last-minute penalty as the Queensland Reds produced a superb comeback to beat Japan’s Sunwolves 34-31 and post their first win of the season.
The Aussies trailed 21-5 at halftime, but their bench provided an instant impact after the break for the visitors in Tokyo, scoring four tries in 16 minutes, two of them by Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
After a Hayden Parker penalty restored a five-point advantage for the Sunwolves with eight minutes left, Tate McDermott pounced on a loose ball from a Harry Hockings charge-down to tie things up again.
Photo: AP
Stewart missed the conversion, but made no mistake with the late penalty as the Reds, thrashed 63-28 on their previous visit to Tokyo, won for the first time in four matches this season.
It was a stinging defeat for the Sunwolves, who looked on course for a victory that would have boosted their survival hopes.
With Super Rugby organizers set to meet this week to discuss the competition’s future, the Sunwolves players started the game as if their futures depended on it.
Tries from Jamie Booth, Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco and Dan Pryor put the Sunwolves in the driving seat, while Parker’s left boot paced the hosts with 11 points.
However, the game swung on the three quickfire scores in the second half.
When Paenga-Amosa scored a carbon-copy try in the 65th minute and Stewart again added the extras, the Reds suddenly led by five points.
Keisuke Uchida darted over to level things at 26-26 and Parker’s boot looked to have stopped the rot, but the Sunwolves were denied a second victory of the season after Hockings charged down Uchida’s clearance, allowing McDermott and Stewart to finish the job.
Meanwhile, a clash between the Otago Highlanders and the table-topping Canterbury Crusaders was called off as a mark of respect for those killed in the deadly mosque attacks in Christchurch.
The teams were due to kick off in Dunedin, but the Christchurch-based Crusaders are to return home “to be with their community.”
The decision was made after meetings with both teams, venue management and police.
“Advice from police and venue management was that the fixture could go ahead,” New Zealand Rugby chief rugby officer Nigel Cass said. “However, with strong agreement from both teams we have made the final call not to proceed as a mark of respect for the events that have occurred in Christchurch.”
Highlanders chief Roger Clark said that despite the match being the biggest fixture on their calendar, “we feel this is the right decision,” with refunds offered to ticket holders.
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