Reds Break 12-Year losing streak to Highlanders
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The Queensland Reds snapped their 12-year hoodoo in Dunedin with a rousing 29-23 victory over the Highlanders in New Zealand today.
The wildly seesawing match saw the Reds fight back from a 20-12 deficit with 30 minutes to play to win in SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific and stay in the top four.
The Reds jumped to a 12-0 lead after just 10 minutes, gave up a 20-0 run of points to the Highlanders over the next 40 minutes and ruthlessly finished the stronger.
“That’s very special. We talked about it all week that it’s been since 2013. We want to be a side that rewrites those history books,” Wilson told Sky Sports on the sideline.
“We were missing a few key players but the next boys stepping up were immense. We already had belief in them. We know how good they are from training with them every day.”
It was the first win by a Reds side in Dunedin since Will Genia and Quade Cooper piloted a 34-33 win in 2013.
Halfback Kalani Thomas was superb in the absence of Wallaby Tate McDermott. It wasn’t just his slick service but backing up an Angus Blyth short pass for the opening try.
The Reds scrum turned the game. The starting scrum and the pack loaded with replacements in the second half bulldozed the Highlanders.
Strong scrums and the penalties generated were part of the massive pressure in the lead up to the second Filipo Daugunu try and the Lachie Anderson try in the second half.
Assistant coach Zane Hilton deserves kudos for the diligent work put into the scrum and the rolling maul which produced a typical Richie Asiata try.
The opening try was well constructed with short offloads from winger Anderson to fullback Heremaia Murray and then Blyth to Thomas. Thomas dashed the final 20m to score for 7-0 after just four minutes.
Hooker Asiata was the steering wheel at the back of a strong rolling maul after 10 minutes. Backs Anderson, Daugunu and Hunter Paisami joined the rolling formation which enable Asiata to spear over.
Different skills needed to be called on in the first half with flanker Seru Uru making a trysaving tackle from behind and Murray making an excellent tackle in the last line of defence.
Murray’s left-foot kick for a 50-22 also showed his versatile skillset before he was yellow carded for a deliberate knockdown .
Centre Daugunu was a strong, physical factor and he also produced calm kicks with his left and right boot to go with his two tries.
Wilson admitted that the team was “pretty disappointed at half-time” and had to lift in the contact zones.
“Our scrum changed the game. It gave us momentum,” Wilson enthused.
Down 20-12, the Reds scrum earned three penalties in a row under the Highlanders’ posts at Forsyth Barr Stadium where the roof guaranteed perfect conditions. The pressure told with Daugunu over for his first try.
Wallabies prop Zane Nonggorr had done a fine job scrummaging and the scrum pressure was sustained when Massimo De Lutiis came on.
The Reds still trailed 20-19 until the 63rd minute when some slick hands from Tim Ryan put Anderson over for 24-20.
The icing came when winger Ryan sliced through on kick counter from the back field. He found Wilson infield who dabbed a perfect left-foot kick ahead at the 69-minute mark.
It would have meant nothing without a strong chase. Daugunu was there first but four Reds arrived to counter-ruck the Highlanders off the ball. Daugunu finished it for five points with a dot down from the back of the ruck.
“The first half was a mixed bag. I’m really proud of the second half and managing that 10 minutes when down to 14 men exceptionally well,” Reds head coach Les Kiss said at the post-match media conference.
“Zane Hilton sleeps, breathes and eats it at scrum time. He’s an excellent coach and the way he has our forwards working as a solid eight is unbelievable. There’ll be a smile on his face tonight.”
The impact of bench players like Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, playing his first 31 minutes of the season because of a leg injury, prop Alex Hodgman and flanker Joe Brial was significant.
“We weren’t as vocal as we needed to be for the 20 minutes to finish the first half. When the boys went back on, they put the energy into it and those guys who came on off the bench made a real difference,” Kiss said.
The Reds are back at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday night to face the Western Force.
QUEENSLAND REDS 29
Tries: Filipo Daugunu 2, Kalani Thomas, Richie Asiata, Lachie Anderson
Conversion: Tom Lynagh 2
Defeated
HIGHLANDERS 23
Tries: Timoci Tavatavanawai, Tanielu Tele’a
Conversion: Taine Robinson 2
Penalty Goal: Taine Robinson 2, Sam Gilbert
Half-time: Highlanders 17-Reds 12
Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
