Time for the first of the all-important semi-final clashes.
First up, we head to Brisbane, where the table-topping Reds take on the Blues for the right to play in the inaugural Super Rugby Final next week.
Kick-off is at 11h40 SA time.
Reds ā 15 Jono Lance, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Anthony Faingaa, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Radike Samo, 7 Beau Robinson, 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Ben Daley.
Subs: 16 James Hanson, 17 Guy Shepherdson, 18 Adam Wallace-Harrison, 19 Jake Schatz, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Will Chambers
Blues -15 Jared Payne, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Benson Stanley, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Lachie Munro, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Chris Lowrey, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu (c), 1 Charlie Faumuina.
Subs: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 James King, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Rene Ranger, 22 Sherwin Stowers .
Tweet
For the Stormers sake I hope the Blues win.
However I think the Reds will win by 7.
Kick-off is just taking far too looooooooongg!!! š”
Go Blues!!!
thump the shackle draggers.
i kinda want the reds to win here, it will be a victory for running and attractive rugby
Cant support anything New Zealand…go Reds….
Goal kickers: Reds Cooper 70% (68 from 97) Harris 100% (8/8). Blues McAlister 70% (48 from 69); Munro 78% (18/23)
Super15 drop kick attempts: Reds Cooper 3 from 6, Genia 0 from 2. Blues McAlister 1 from 1 Brett 0 from 1
Reds on average (super15 rank 1=most/highest) per game: 9.6 pens (7); 4.8 pens at ruck (14); 11 missed tackles (15)
Blues on average (super15 rank 1=most/highest) per game: 8.6 pens (14); 5.6 pens at ruck (9); 14.2 missed tackles (5)
Reds v Blues Ref stats: Kaplan forced to award, per game average 18.5 pens (11.3 at ruck) 4.5 scrum resets & 4.5 scrum infringes
Reds v Blues Ref stats: Kaplan 4 (1=most/highest) from 17 refs to award scrum pens, 11th for pens, F/K and ruck pens
@Just a Fan (Comment 4) : same about here, go reds
Have the reds by 6
About another 5 min…. Great fun, no presure…. š
I’d rather support New Zealanders than shackle draggers. And then BRrrrizzie holds a special little dark spot on my heart.
Go the Blues, trample those convicts.
First min, first penalty… Red going for line out
Blues on attack…
Now Reds with good brake…
Reds 0 – 0 Blues
6 min
Penalty Reds Cooper missed
Reds 0 ā 0 Blues
7 min
@franshark (Comment 12) : C’mon Blues!!!
Brent brakes for blues
Intersep try Davies for reds
Convertion over
Reds 7 ā 0 Blues
12 min
Only Greg Martin can say:”only a hamstring can stop him”
@beet (Comment 18) : ja š
Great that the Reds are playing to a sold out home crowd…
phew…Reds get a penalty on thier own 5 mtrs line…
For blues obstruction
Reds line out 7 meters from blues goal and butchered it
23 mins in..>Reds 7: Blues 0
Go for the poles…Coop
Samo off injured for reds
Cooper makes a hash of the pen. kick. Missed two so far. Reds 7 Blues 0
Reds penalty, missed again
Reds 7 ā 0 Blues
26 min
Quade Cooper//what a star!!!!
Lachie Munro is having a forgettable match.
Greate run cooper, reds try
Reds try….great support running to Cooper for the Reds 12 to score a try
Convertion missed
Reds 12 ā 0 Blues
32 min
Conversion missed. Red 12 Blues 0…
@franshark (Comment 33) : Fastest draw in the west… š
COOPER
Reds 15: Blues 0
Penalty over reds
Reds 15 ā 0 Blues
37 min
Blues try, after half time siren
Larry catch reds sleeping
Soft try for the Blues….Chris Lowry. Reds listening to the hooter not paying attention to the game
Half time: Reds 15 Blues 7
Well desevered for team and player. Lowry has been excellent in this half.
Genia on the money: outstanding Reds defence.
HALF TIME
Reds 15 ā 7 Blues
C’mon Blues another one of those just after kick off will go down well.
I said in the week, to win the reds u have to shut down Cooper, the blues did not get that memo cause Cooper having the night of his life….
2nd half underway…
Blues penalty, Mcalister
Reds 15 ā 10 Blues
46 min
2nd half – Reds 15; Blues 10
great tackle…
Davies try
Rod Davies – 2nd try,…..REDS…..
Set move from line out,
Convertion missed
Reds 20 ā 10 Blues
51 min
Cooper only kicked 2 from 6 so far…..
Blues penalty
Penalty over
Reds 20 ā 13 Blues
53 min
Blues looking more lifely now
reds not paying attention in their 22….very frsutrating
Blues brain fart give the reds another try
Davies hat trick
And it is davies 3rd, first hatrick for the reds ever
who else can kick for the reds?
Convertion over at last for Cooper
Reds 27 ā 13 Blues
59 min
Cooper makes the conversion…Reds 27 Blues 13
Wish I had Davies in my FL team, only 6 playing players this week š
Reds well on top of this game at the moment….
Penalty blues, going for a line out
@franshark (Comment 67) : holding my breath though..game can change so quickly.
@Just a Fan (Comment 69) : Still 18min to go, so you right about that
Sa Fainga def. seems to be growing up in his rugby…
A š (smily) brake gets the blues Penalty
Line out on reds 22
And they thou scew…
Oohhh. pressure building on the Blues now…lineout lost, not straight…
12 min to go
oooowhat a fumble for the Blues…that could have been a great try for them…
Blues still 2 converted try’s behind, and now butchered a try thru pain-full knock
good chip by Genia putting the reds inside the blues 22…9 mins to go.
The sharks bulls game in Pretoria still the biggest attendance this year, 44000 in attendance in brisban today
Reds have the advantage inside the 22
Penalty advantage for the reds, this is tickets for the blues
TMO for Reds try
No try, but Reds still have penalty
TMO decision for reds try..
No try
Ref says advantage over..scrum 5mts to Blue
Advantage was over, blues scrum, 5 meters
Reds steal the ball
Cooper drop gaol over
Cooper drop goal!!!
Cooper drop
Reds 30 ā 13 Blues
75 min
Stormers or saders to travel to suncorp stadium next week….
A last minut ranger try would be nice here, for SB and FL
Reds going for the throat….
Cooper takes ranger out the sideline… š
Well done Reds. š
Final in Brisbane. š
2 minutes to go for first Reds final
And that is it…
FULL TIME
Reds 30 ā 13 Blues
Well done Reds…..Blues had no steam at the end.
š Damn Shackle draggers. š
Thanks for the commentary, guys.
Well I suppose I had better get some housework done before the next game..later chaps…
@Just a Fan (Comment 100) : Must have been the travel. š š
@KSA Shark Ā© (Comment 101) : Sorry KSA..just can’t support the Sheep Shaggers..:)
@McLovin (Comment 103) : š š š
There goes NZ’s last hope to have a team in the final. Reds vs Stormers final. š
@Just a Fan (Comment 104) : Both of those nations shag sheep.
Missed tackles for the Reds will be of concern heading into the final. The Reds missed 35 tackles or on average 1 in every 4 attempts. The Blues missed 21 tackles also 1 in every 4 attempts.
The Reds turned little possession into opportunities into points. The Reds had 35% possession in the 1st half and 40% for the entire game.
In the 2nd half the Reds spent 29% in the Blues 22. The Blues spent 9% of the 2nd half inside the Red 22.
21 penalties in the game. The Reds conceded 11, but 9 of these were in the 2nd half.
@McLovin: LMAO @ comment 103
30-13 .. ??!!
75min and leading 27-13,cooper takes a dg.have to love it..! A team that knows how to extinguish any hope(any,any hope) whatsoever the opponents have left in the match
.Take a page out of their play book ,sharks coaches.actually,try getting your hands on the whole book.
Going to be tough there in brisbane- hope the stormers can whip some aussie behind next weekend [email protected]: now don’t get excited at the thought of that š š