Super Rugby Pacific, the latest incarnation of the Super Rugby competition, saw the Queensland Reds take on the Brumbies in a thrilling encounter at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Both teams came into the match with a point to prove, having lost their previous fixtures, and they put on a fantastic show for the fans in attendance.
The Reds started the game strongly, with flyhalf James O'Connor orchestrating proceedings and directing his team around the park. It was O'Connor who opened the scoring for the Reds, with a penalty in the 7th minute. The Brumbies responded immediately, however, with hooker Folau Fainga'a crashing over the line from close range to score the first try of the match.
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The Reds continued to dominate possession and territory, and they were rewarded with a try of their own in the 21st minute. Centre Isaac Henry showed great strength and determination to power his way over the line and give the Reds the lead once again. O'Connor added the extras with a well-struck conversion, and the Reds led 10-5.
The Brumbies were not to be outdone, however, and they hit back with a try of their own just five minutes later. Fullback Tom Banks made a scything break through the Reds defence, and after a series of quick passes, winger Mack Hansen was able to dot down in the corner. Flyhalf Bayley Kuenzle missed the conversion, however, and the Brumbies still trailed by two points.
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The Reds continued to dominate the game, and they extended their lead with a second try in the 36th minute. This time it was winger Filipo Daugunu who finished off a well-worked move, diving over in the corner to score. O'Connor added the extras once again, and the Reds went into halftime with a 17-10 lead.
The Brumbies came out firing in the second half, and they were rewarded with a try in the 47th minute. Flanker Rob Valetini burst through the Reds defence and offloaded to replacement hooker Lachlan Lonergan, who crashed over for the score. Kuenzle added the conversion to level the scores at 17-17.
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The Reds responded immediately, however, with O'Connor slotting another penalty to give them a three-point lead. They extended that lead further just five minutes later, with prop Taniela Tupou powering his way over the line to score a try. O'Connor once again added the extras, and the Reds led 27-17 with just over 20 minutes to play.
The Brumbies refused to give up, however, and they scored a try in the 63rd minute to keep themselves in the game. Replacement winger Len Ikitau showed great pace and footwork to dance his way through the Reds defence and score under the posts. Kuenzle added the conversion, and the Brumbies were back within three points.
The final 15 minutes of the game were a tense affair, with both teams throwing everything they had at each other. The Reds had a chance to extend their lead with a penalty in the 75th minute, but O'Connor's attempt sailed wide of the posts.
The Brumbies had one last chance to steal victory in the dying minutes of the game, but the Reds defence held firm and they were unable to break through. The final whistle blew with the Reds holding on for a hard-fought 27-24 victory.
The win was a crucial one for the Reds, who had lost their previous game to the Western Force. They will take great confidence from their performance against the Brumbies, particularly the way they dominated the first half of the game.