Queensland Reds upset unbeaten Brumbies

Queensland Reds upset fancied Brumbies 21-7 in a bruising Super Rugby Pacific Australian derby at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.

Queensland continues its excellent home record against fellow Australian opposition. The Brisbane side’s win is their seventh in a row at Suncorp versus the Canberra team, and the 13th home Super Rugby Aussie derby victory on the trot.

The disappointing 14-point defeat ends Dan McKellar’s side’s six-match unbeaten run. The two-time champions have now gone 2,576 days without a positive result at Suncorp Stadium going back to 2015.

McKellar’s men won the first encounter 16-12 two weeks ago in round five in Canberra, but the Reds were back to winning ways against the capital franchise.

Fraser McReight and Filipo Daugunu, in his 50th Super Rugby match, scored for the Queensland Reds as the Brumbies succumbed to their first loss of Super Rugby Pacific.

The bruising derby saw many big hits; Daugunu on Andy Muirhead and Jordan Petaia on Jesse Mogg, who left the field.

The biggest hit, however, came when Hunter Paisami cut Nic White in half with a thunderous crunching tackle at the end of the game.

Cam Clark, on debut, scored the visitor’s only try as the Reds kept their opponents scoreless in the second half.

James O’Connor kicked three penalties and a conversion for a haul of 11 important points. O’Connor also assisted on Daugunu’s sentimental five-pointer.

Both teams struggled with discipline, having two cards shown apiece.

Tuaina Tualima, in for injured captain Liam Wright, saw red, while Taniela Tupou received a yellow.

Both cards were deserved, which is not the case for the two opposition yellows.

The ACT men could be the more aggrieved after Rob Valetini and Clark’s yellows were especially unfortunate.

The Queensland Reds trailed by 6-7 at halftime after a low-scoring opening 40 minutes

O’Connor landed a 14th-minute penalty to open the scoring, while Ryan Lonergan missed his long-range effort to level soon afterwards.

The visitors, however, struck early in the second quarter from a well-worked attack.

Clark, on for Jesse Mogg, dummied Daugunu and cut inside Hamish Stewart to score. Lonergan added the extras.

O’Connor cut the gap to one with a 31st-minute penalty for a penalty at the breakdown.

However, after a fortuitous call by the officals, the home team kept the penalty despite a forward pass by Ryan Smith to Harry Wilson.

Tualima was sent off after flying into the side of a ruck from a long run up.

The flanker cleaned out James Slipper with a wild swing of the arm to the head, and had to go.

The Brumbies, however, did not capitalise on the extra man; instead, the Reds scored the next points.

The visitords kicked to the corner, but their driving maul failed as Tupou, Angus Blyth, and Ryan Smith all helped to hold up the set-piece.

Queensland take advanatge of the opposition’s ill-discipline and add two tries while keeping the Brumbies scoreless to claim the win

Brad Thorn’s men struck straight after the restart despite being down a man.

Petaia, still playing fullback for the fourth game in a row – and playing well – claimd O’Connor’s speculative up-and-under to set up McReight.

Petaia got tackled a couple of metres out, but some quick, recycled ball saw McReight break off the side of the ruck, and burrow through the opposition to score.

The Reds’ standoff added the extras to make it 13-7.

Valetini was harshly sent off for a high shot to Tate McDermott’s head, but the number eight could not duck out because Mcdermott ducked under at speed.

Where Queensland kept the Brumbies scoreless while down a player, the opposite, however, was true for the ACT team.

O’Connor slotted another penalty on the hour to increase his side’s slender lead. The former Super Rugby AU 2020  champions lost another man to the bin.

Not soon had Valetini returned then Clark was off to the naughty step.

It was a harsh call to send Clark to the sin-bin for a deliberate knockdown.

On review, it looked like another dubious call by the officials as the 29-year-old utility back was falling backwards as he tried to make the intercept.

The card proved costly, and Queensland turned the screw.

A Valetini mistake, with 12 minutes remaining, from a defensive scrum inside his’ 22, led to Daugunu scoring his first try against the Brumbies.

O’Connor, ever involved, found the winger with a floated pass over Rod Iona, and the 27-year-old flyer made no mistake.

The conversion was no good, but the hosts had a 14-point lead.

The ill-discipline continued, this time Tupou was off for tripping White after the halfback took a quick-tap penalty near halfway.

McKellar’s beleaguered men could not convert pressure into points, squandering a couple of good opportunities.

Instead, the Brisbane boys kicked a penalty to the corner, and slowed the game down to see the game out.

Final Score: Reds 21 (6) Brumbies 7 (7)

Scorers

Reds
Tries – McReight, Daugunu
Pen – O’Connor (3)
Con – O’Connor
Drop –
Cards – Tualima (Red, 34′), Tupou (Yellow, 76′)

Brumbies
Tries – Clark
Pen –
Con – R. Lonergan
Drop –
Cards – Valetini (Yellow, 49′), Clark (Yellow, 62′)

Match Officials
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 2: Graham Cooper
TMO: James Leckie

Teams

Queensland Reds: 15 Jordan Petaia, 14 Josh Flook, 13 Hunter Paisami, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Filipo Daugunu, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tuaina Tualima, 5 Angus Blyth, 4 Ryan Smith, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Josh Nasser, 1 Harry Hoopert.

Replacements: 16 Richie Asiata, 17 Feao Fotuaika, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Connor Vest, 20 Matt Faessler, 21 Kalani Thomas, 22 Isaac Henry, 23 Lawson Creighton.

Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Tom Wright, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Andy Muirhead, 10 Rod Iona, 9 Ryan Lonergan, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Nick Frost, 4 Darcy Swain, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper.

Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Sefo Kautai, 19 Tom Hooper, 20 Ed Kennedy, 21 Nic White, 22 Hudson Creighton, 23 Cam Clark.