Reds claim Super Rugby crown

It has been a long time between drinks for Queensland rugby supporters. Yet tonight the Queensland Reds capped a meteoric rise to take out their first Super Rugby title in over 15 years, and their first since the game went professional, with a dramatic 18-13 win over the Crusaders at a packed out SunCorp stadium.

In the opening stages the game had the look of a tradition Super Rugby final: A true arm wrestle where points are hard earned. Amazing defence by the Whitelock brothers and intense pressure on Genia at the breakdown saw the Crusaders in control of the match in the opening 20. Corey Flynn's inability to get the ball into the line-out straight hampered the Crusaders, however, and the visitors were unable rack up any points on the board despite having the wealth of possession and territory.

After a flurry of kicks, knock-ons, and Reds' scrums under pressure, it was the home team who scored first. The 32nd minute saw a Quade Cooper penalty after Carter made a rare mistake in his own half. Score line: 3-0.

The Crusaders hit back quickly in typical fashion. A moment of Dan Carter magic saw the Cantabrian 10 cross for the first try of the match after a crafty grubber kick; a lazy decision not to tackle the Crusaders' pivot from Quade Blooper allowing Carter an easy conversion. Score line: 3-7.

The Reds managed to salvage another 3 points late in the half courtesy of a second Cooper penalty. A stupid decision to trip Cooper off the ball by Brad Thorn gifted the Reds an easy kick at goal. Score line: 6-7.

The Crusaders went into the sheds with a marginal 1 point lead, but showing none of the fatigue that their mammoth journey to Cape Town and back would suggest.

The Reds jumped out of the blocks with vigour in the second half. The home side finally put some pressure on just inside the Crusaders 22 until a classic Quade blooper saw a Robbie Fruean intercept. The Crusaders regained control over territory and very nearly ran away with the game in the 46th minute after Brad Thorn was judged to be held up over the try line. The Crusaders rammed home their scrum advantage from the ensuing scrum; a penalty to the visitors seeing Carter bring the score out to 6-10. It has to be asked, however, why the Crusaders didn't press their scrum advantage and angle for a potential penalty try or yellow card. Richie McCaw oddly making the same choice that proved his undoing in the round robin stage of the tournament.

This time it was the Reds' turn to hit back quickly and hit back through their own moment of individual brilliance. Will Genia fielded a high ball to Cooper who spun it wide to a flying Digby Ioane who turned on the after burners to cross under the posts almost untouched. Cooper's conversion brought the score out to 13-10.

The Crusaders returned the game to a deadlock with a 56th minute penalty, and set the game up for a thrilling final quarter.

Another flurry of kicks almost saw Rob Simmons cap off an impressive game of rugby with an intercept try, however the ball was judged to have been knocked forward, and his try was not to be. It was plain to see the Reds brimming with confidence and some neat interplay between Cooper and Davies as well as Scott Higginbotham saw the Crusaders pinned in their own 22.

The deadlock was broken with yet another amazing individual effort in the 69th minute. Will Genia made the most of yet another Crusader knock-on by dummying and then exploiting a gap close to the ruck to run the ball 60 metres to the try line. Score line: 18-13.

This was to be the last time either team scored. The Crusaders' inability to control the ball saw them unable to land a reply to keep them in the match. A silly Crotty penalty gifted Quade Cooper the chance to land the killing blow in the 75th minute, yet he was unable to convert this one.

The Crusaders had a chance to win the game at the dead, as the Reds had done two months earlier, however a stolen line-out and, minutes later, a knock on saw all hope snuffed out. The Reds claimed a historic victory in front of a rapturous home crowd.

Match Wash-Up
As opposed to the Bulls' landslide title win over the Chiefs in 2009, this game was a thriller from start to finish purely on the grounds of two teams never being separated by more than 5 points. Execution was poor at times and neither team dazzled with the kind of back line play that saw them into the finals, yet it was highly entertaining in that either team could have won it. You get the sense that the Crusaders would have taken yet another title had their immense travel schedule not caught up with them. They played with greater intensity in the first half and were unlucky not to go into half time with a greater lead. The Reds, on the other hand, did what they have done all season. They mixed things up and kept the opposition guessing- sometimes painfully so in the case of Cooper. As the game wore on they grew in confidence and from the 60th minute onwards it looked like the Crusaders were well and truly out of the game.

So what does this mean for the Wallabies? Well for one thing, it was great to see a team with a dismal scrum win a major tournament. The Wallabies will be stronger than the Reds were in both the line-out and the scrum. Will the All Blacks be any better in their pack? Most of the Crusaders' 8 will be in the ABs 22. So this win will be a major confidence boost for the Wallabies, and those from the Reds in particular. Too often we have seen the Wallabies dominate the Kiwis for 50-60 minutes and then lose it at the death because we don't have the confidence to stick with what has worked for us.

Man of the Match
There were some notable performances from both sides. First of all, hats off to the Crusaders scrum. Franks, Flynn and Crockett wreaked havoc on the Reds for 80 minutes and looked like leading a Crusader victory. The entire Crusaders pack was very impressive in fact. They tackled their hearts out and poured into the breakdown with typical Crusader ruthlessness. If they had kept up the intensity of the first half, they probably would have taken out the game. Both 10s, Carter and Cooper, deserve credit for some moments of magic. Uncharacteristically silly play by both players detracted from their performances, however. Amongst the Reds, Rob Simmons, Scott Higginbotham, Digby Ioane and Will Genia were particularly impressive. But the one player who stood out in the team was James Horwill. Horwill lead his team against a who's who of All Blacks with finals experience coming out of the wazoo. He marshalled his troops well, he played his heart out, and he didn't let the magnitude of the situation to get anyone's head. The Reds always had a swift answer every time the Crusaders scored. For that, James Horwill wins man of the match.

Well done queensland!...... What a turn around from a few years ago..... could we learn a thing or two from them?....

Yup, well done, Reds! Despite being outscrummed, outmuscled at the breakdown, and losing in the possession and territory stats, they still took their opportunities when they came. Defense was fantastic again.

I'm looking forward to seeing Genia and Cooper behind a stronger pack in Wallaby colours!

Well youd better hope noone listens to the guys that made up the "best" wallabies team at fox sports as i believe 2 of the three front rowers were QLD... those boys were picking grass out of their sinuses after that game..... but a great win for the Reds and Aussie rugby in general! bring on Bill!!!

Wallabies front row is the easiest part of the team to pick. On form:

1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore (doesn't get injured as much as TPN)
3. Sekope Kepu

16. TPN
17. James Slipper

Reserve prop: Dunning or Alexander- form says Dunning, head says Deans will pick Alexander despite him being pinged far too often for hinging.
Reserve hooker: Nathan Charles (Faingaa can't scrummage)

Reds pack have been maligned all year. Truth is that they have largely held their own this year. It is a fiction that Qld have a poor pack. You don't win a super title with a poor pack.

The scrum needs work - yes - but it has largely held strong enough this year. The lineout has been immense - it showed up the Crusaders last night. The breakdown throughout the year has also been very good - last night they were outmuscled a bit, but they still did plenty of work at the breakdown to hold their own.

All over different rugby forums, people post about how poor the pack has been. I believe that in most instances it is without basis and sounds like sour grapes.

edit - rucks and mauls last night were Reds 80, Crusaders 83. Hardly a thumping by the "saders forwards.

Congratulations to the Reds.

(And I think you can stop whinging about the Force taking your players now.)

Congratulations Reds! We've joked about brand JOC, but Brand Reds is a model I'd like to see the EWF emulate here in the West. What a fantastic season they've given their fans and more importantly rugby lovers in Aus and abroad. A great advert for the game - well done.

Who, in this thread, is maligning the Queensland pack? I don't know about elsewhere, but I don't think there are any sour grapes around here. Everyone here seems pretty proud of Queensland.

But let's be honest, the Reds scrum was completely dominated last night in a scene fairly reminiscent of a few select Wallabies/England tests and it almost cost you the game. I don't know why McCaw didn't press home the advantage from the Reds 5m line when he had the chance. I guess you are right when you say that it held strong enough because it was enough to win the competition and that's all that matters. But you will want to fix it if you want to create a Reds dynasty. I suppose it is a tough call though because what Faingaa and Daley lack in scrummaging they make up for in work rate.

The line-out was great for the Reds. That late steal by Samo was big. But whether it was due to the pressure from the Reds or not, the Crusaders were mostly their own undoing in the line-out. Corey Flynn had a very, very bad game. And then again, and no sour grapes intended here, didn't the Crusaders work over the Reds line-out in their clash earlier in the year? But then these are just observations and I'd happily admit that a Force line-out without Sharpie would get torn to shreds by the Reds, and probably most teams for that matter. I'd like to see Wallace-Harrison considered for the Wallabies purely as a bench lock/6. I loved the way the jump didn't work near the Crusaders line in the second half but he still got the ball back for the Reds. I don't think Robbie picks enough players for their impact qualities.

Well done Reds. Good teams do just enough to grind out a win somehow when they are not playing well. It must take a really good one to hang in and do it in a final against the benchmark of the decade.

SBW - shouldn't have tempted fate by wearing a maroon scarf on Wednesday.

Brad Thorn - I just thought I'd remind you that you were on the losing team for once. Best Queensland accent from a Kiwi I've ever heard. Looked more like a happy, proud Bananna Bender than a Cantab second place getter too.

A big Congratulations to the Reds... well done lads...