The Queensland Reds scored after the siren to clinch the points over the NSW Waratahs in front of 32 000 supporters. The first half was evenly played, as penalty goals were shared. The reds were up 9-3 with a few minutes left before the break when Will Genia lost the ball 5 metres from his own line. Wycliff Palu picked up the scraps to score the first try of the match. Another penalty kick from the Reds sent them into the sheds 4 points ahead at 12-8.
The Waratahs came out from halftime with all guns blazing, as Polota Nau scored a 50m try, only to find out that he had received a forward pass. The controversial decision has left Taahs fans fuming as most saw the pass as flat at worst. Their next try came with no second guessing from the ref, as debutante Sarel Pretorious crossed in the 67th minute to put the Taas in front 21-18. With 30 seconds on the clock the Waratahs thought they had in in the bag as Dom Shipperly received the ball 40m from his own line and busted through the NSW defence to take the points for the Reds. This is the first time they have won against the Waratahs in Sydney. |
Reds
Dom Shipperley - 1 try Waratahs Wycliff Palu - 1 try Sarel Pretorius - 1 try |
The Canberra-based Brumbies began their Super 15 campaign on the right foot with a hard-fought victory over the Western Force.
Fielding a new-look side under new coach Jake White, the Brumbies had the most to prove and earned their victory in front of 14, 211 supporters at Canberra Stadium. The first half was a tough, end-to-end battle with the only points in the first half coming courtesy of the referee. Controversial whistleblower Bryce Lawrence blew 13 penalties in the first half and both sides took advantage, with Force flyhalf James Stannard kicking four penalties for the away side and Nic White booting three for the Brumbies. The score heading into the halftime break was 12-9 to the Force. The crowd was still finding their seats five minutes into the second half when Brumbies debutant winger Jesse Mogg latched on to a White pass to register the first try of the Super 15 season. Mogg, who formerly played for the Brisbane Broncos under-20s outfit in the NRL, gained many fans with a strong performance for the Canberra side. The try gave the Brumbies momentum and just two minutes later they struck again, this time through Robbie Coleman. White missed the conversion and the score stayed at 19-12. A try to goalkicker Stannard gave the Force some hope, but after he missed the conversion the score was 19-17 to the home side. There were a number of chances for both sides but at the fulltime whistle it was the Brumbies who got the points, 19-17 over the Western Force. Jesse Mogg capped a great debut game with the man of the match award. |
Brumbies
Jesse Mogg - 1 try Robbie Coleman- 1 try Force James Stannard- 1 try |