The Queensland Reds ended an ultimately frustrating season on a high note with a thrilling 38-36 win over the Otago Highlanders in Brisbane yesterday.
The six-tries-to-five win wasn’t enough, however, to lift the Reds into the finals after an inconsistent season that saw them surprise with their good form for most of the campaign, only to stumble in recent weeks.
Led by Wallabies hopeful Quade Cooper, the Reds completely dominated the Highlanders, who finished the season with just three wins, early in the match, but then had to come from behind in the dying minutes to snatch victory.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Up 24-3 at the break, with Cooper having a hand in all four of their first-half tries, the Reds found themselves down 36-31 late in the game, before Cooper converted Poutasi Luafutu’s second try in the 78th minute to regain the lead.
Otago’s Israel Dagg then had a penalty attempt from beyond halfway to snatch the win after the final siren, but his kick fell just short.
Cooper bamboozled the Highlanders with some outrageous passes in the first half and it was his quick hands that led to Digby Ioane, in his 50th Super rugby match, opening the scoring in just the second minute with a converted try.
In the 12th minute, the Reds had a second try when their sustained pressure culminated in Radiki Samo reaching over out wide with his right hand after a Cooper pass.
Cooper was tormenting the Highlanders and decided to produce a party trick for the third try, his 20m back-of-the-hand pass enabling Peter Hynes to cross with ease in the 19th minute.
When Cooper himself was able to reach and place the ball on the try line in the 33rd minute — the try confirmed by the video official — the Reds had a commanding lead at the break.
The Highlanders produced an inspired comeback, however, to run in five tries in the second half, two from Fetu’u Vainikolo.
His first, in the 64th minute, gave the Highlanders an unlikely lead as they stunned the home side.
Luafutu came off the bench to put the Reds back in front with his first try in the 68th minute, before Jason Rutledge jammed the ball against the upright to put the New Zealanders back in front in the 72nd minute, setting up a frantic finale.
■BLUES 30, CHIEFS 20
Reuters, AUCKLAND
Winger Rudi Wulf scored two second-half tries to propel the Auckland Blues past the Waikato Chiefs in their last Super rugby match of the season in Auckland yesterday.
The explosive All Black enlivened an otherwise scrappy encounter in which both teams were playing for pride, having been ruled out of semi-final contention weeks before.
Chiefs skipper Liam Messam scored his team’s first try in the 58th minute, the conversion pulling the deficit back to 20-13 with just over 20 minutes remaining.
Wulf quelled the fightback three minutes later, however, after crashing over the line in a pile of bodies for his first try.
He then streamed down the left wing to cross for his second and seal the win six minutes from time.
The Blues finished with seven wins and six losses, but the season’s end could not have come quicker for last year’s finalists the Chiefs, who managed only four wins.
In a first half plagued with handling errors from both sides, the Blues put the first score on the board after 25 minutes, when Wulf barged through four tacklers in midfield to allow Paul Williams to cross at the right-hand corner.
The Chiefs were undermanned when No. 8 Colin Bourke was sin-binned for a dubious penalty and conceded a second try to inside center Benson Stanley three minutes before the break.
Chiefs flyhalf Trent Renata kicked a second penalty goal to trim the deficit to 12-6 at halftime.
Alby Mathewson scored the Blues’ third try six minutes after the break after wrenching himself out of Messam’s tackle on the goal-line to make it 17-6.
Winger Save Tokula scored a consolation try for the Chiefs a couple of minutes before time.
■SHARKS 27, FORCE 22
Reuters, DURBAN, South Africa
The Sharks outscored the Western Force by three tries to one to claim victory in the Super 14 on Friday.
The game was a scrappy affair, with both teams out of the running for a semi-final berth.
The Sharks were first to score when left wing Lwazi Mvovo dived over in the corner after being put in by fullback Patrick Lambie.
Flyhalf Ruan Pienaar converted, before Force scrumhalf Brett Sheehan kicked two long-range penalties.
The Australian side then took the lead for the only time when fullback James O’Connor booted a penalty, before the 19-year-old added a 35m effort.
The Sharks, though, went back in front when No. 8 Ryan Kankowski crashed over from a 5m scrum for a converted try.
Pienaar and O’Connor then traded penalties as the home side went into the break leading 17-15.
The Sharks began the second half in a belligerent mood and their industry was rewarded after eight minutes when flanker Jacques Botes dived over.
The Force then notched their only try through wing Nick Cummins, before Pienaar slotted his second penalty.
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