The Queensland Reds secured top spot in the Super Rugby standings and home advantage throughout the playoffs with a controlled 19-11 victory over the Waikato Chiefs in the Hamilton rain yesterday.
With an unassailable 66 points from their 16 regular season games, the Reds will now have a week off, before hosting a semi-final in Brisbane and, if they get through that, their first Super Rugby final on July 9.
There were few of the Quade Cooper-inspired fireworks that have characterized the Reds’ performances this year, but Will Genia, the other member of their world class halfback partnership, marshaled his forwards superbly to secure a hard-fought win.
Photo: Reuters
The Reds spoiled the Chiefs’ lineout and repeatedly stole ball at the breakdown in the first hour, while Cooper punished any infringements with four penalties and moved to 210 points for the season.
“To finish the season as No. 1 is a massive effort,” Reds skipper James Horwill said. “It shows the consistency we’ve been building towards and I’m really proud of that, but the finals is a whole different ball game and we’ll have a week off now to prepare well.”
Teenage flanker Liam Gill, who scored the Reds’ sole try, and center Ben Tapuai were only two of several stand-ins to have impressive games, mitigating the absence through injury of a string of first-choice players.
Photo: Reuters
Their semi-final opponents will take heart from the pressure the Chiefs were able exert late in the game, but not from the fact that the Queensland defense repelled the New Zealanders time and again from close range.
No. 8 Fritz Lee did manage to bulldoze over two minutes from time, but there was to be no winning farewell for Chiefs coach Ian Foster or captain Mils Muliaina, who is moving to Japan after the World Cup.
? Crusaders 16, ’Canes 9
Reuters, WELLINGTON
The Canterbury Crusaders claimed the New Zealand conference title and a top-three seed for the Super Rugby playoffs with a gutsy win over the Wellington Hurricanes.
Center Robbie Fruean scored the only try and Dan Carter added eight points with his boot to tame a fired-up Hurricanes side, who were playing for pride in a match that looked like an All Blacks selection trial.
The seven-time champions will have to wait until South Africa’s Stormers play their final match of the season to find out if they finish second or third in the standings, the difference between a place in the semi-finals or the first round.
However, even if the Stormers were to beat the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein later on yesterday, the Crusaders are guaranteed home advantage in their opening playoff match despite not having a suitable home at the moment.
Their first encounter with the Hurricanes should have taken place in week 2, but a deadly Christchurch earthquake put paid to that and did enough damage to the Crusaders’ stadium to put them on the road for the season.
Given such adversity, edging the Auckland Blues to the New Zealand title is a major achievement, although Todd Blackadder’s men will not want it to end there.
The two sides were deadlocked at 6-6 after a grueling first half played out in the Wellington rain, but the Crusaders came out firing from the break and within three minutes were a converted try ahead.
Winger Zac Guildford continued his fine form by showing a fresh pair of orange heels to the Hurricanes defense, weaving in and out of cover tackles, before flipping a high pass to Fruean, who went over in the corner.
Hurricanes flyhalf Aaron Cruden narrowed the deficit to 13-9 with his third penalty and would have given his side the lead with a try in the 65th minute had it not been for a crunching tackle from Crusaders fullback Tom Marshall.
For Hurricanes captain Andrew Hore, the result, if not the performance, was a disappointing end to his long career in Wellington.
“Pretty proud of the way the boys fronted up against a pretty solid Crusaders side,” said the hooker, who was released with fellow All Black Ma’a Nonu two weeks ago. “It’s sad, it’s no secret that a few of us didn’t want to leave on other people’s terms, but we have to [but] we can hold our heads up high.”
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