REDS 22 BLUES 35
View photosKEY POINTS:
First things first. The Blues had to win or they were definitely on their bike in the Super 14.
Their chain slipped a couple of times in the humidity in Brisbane but they arrested their Super 14 slide and pedalled to a precious 35-22 victory, which kept alive their slim mathematical dream of making the play-offs.
And they claimed a precious bonus point for tries, an achievement which has eluded them since round three of the competition.
That lack of bonus points underlines some of the problems which have afflicted the Blues in David Nucifora's final season as coach.
While the Reds have not had a momentous Super 14 campaign, they had only lost once at Suncorp Stadium this season.
On that occasion, they were bashed by the Stormers 34-16 and the Blues inflicted damage of a similar nature last night as they rediscovered an attacking venom which had evaporated after their opening games of the series.
"It wasn't pretty but it was effective and we are happy to get on the plane home with that," Blues captain Troy Flavell said.
There was a flakiness about the Blues early in the match when David Croft scored a soft try as the Reds were able to inflict a rare wheel against the visitors' scrum.
The redress came almost immediately when Taniela Moa held the Reds defence as he ran across field before delivering a try-scoring pass to looseforward Jerome Kaino running a great angle.
It was the Blues turn then to grunt up their scrum and disrupt the Reds' supply of possession, and halfback Moa, coming more and more into the game, sharply claimed a loose ball to feed Isa Nacewa for an uninterrupted run to the tryline.
The game was starting to open up and that fact suited the Blues as they went to the interval with a 20-7 advantage.
The Reds players looked as though they appreciated the expansive approach the match was taking, but it did not suit their coaching staff.
The players were told to attack the visitors more through the middle of the field, to look for territory and to keep their phase-play much tighter until the Blues defensive line started to bend under pressure.
That stricter policy drew dividends and the confidence started to creep back into the Reds.
Lock Van Humphries scored one bizarre try from a stationary ruck when he bent down in the middle of the mass and plonked the ball over the line.
Then wing Peter Hynes snaffled a knock on and scooted 65m for a converted try and with a quarter of the match remaining, the Reds found themselves in front.
It needed another burst from the powerful Kaino to rescue the Blues from their plight.
The flanker smashed through several tacklers to the throat of the Reds posts where they won a penalty and Moa tapped quickly for replacement lock Kurtis Haiu to score the try.
And fittingly, it was the stocky halfback who scored the vital fourth try, guaranteeing victory and confirming the bonus point when he plunged over from a damaging Benson Stanley cut with a couple of minutes before referee Jonathan Kaplan signalled fulltime.
Blues 35 (J Kaino, I Nacewa, K Haiu, T Moa, tries; N Evans 3 con, 3 pen)
Reds 22 (D Croft, VF Humphries, PHynes, tries; C Schifcofske pen, 2 con) Halftime: 20-7
