Queensland Reds snap 11-game NSW Waratahs losing streak in Dalby trial
After losing their last 11 games against the Waratahs, the Reds have shown they can make an impact in 2020, ahead of the Super Rugby season opener against the Brumbies.
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When you’ve lost 11 times in a row to the NSW Waratahs, even winning a trial against blue jerseys in Dalby has meaning before the Queensland Reds earn the real thing.
The Reds turned around the Waratahs early momentum on Friday night to make a clear 28-19 statement that 2020 can be their turnaround year in Super Rugby.
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Playing strongly against the Brumbies in Canberra on Friday night to open the season proper is the only real gauge but all the pointers are positive.
Young flyhalf Isaac Lucas has always had footwork but he’s worked hard on game management so he’s steering the side not just playing well individually.
He kicked shrewdly a few times and one chip kick was seized expertly by replacement outside centre Hunter Paisami.
Kiwi Paisami actually had more influence than young Wallaby Jordan Petaia, who got 40 minutes of match fitness, made one nice charge and a nice off-load.
It was the strong-running Paisami who split the tackles of Waratahs Rob Simmons and Jack Maddocks just after halftime to send fullback Jock Campbell over for a 14-7 lead.
Wallabies James O’Connor and Petaia looked a good pairing with O’Connor dealing short balls and diving into first receiver at times to keep the Reds’ attack flowing.
In the pack, young No.8 Harry Wilson ran strongly, hit hard and did everything demanded of a successful audition to start his first Super Rugby game in Canberra.
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The Reds have a pile-driving scrum when Wallaby Taniela Tupou is the cornerstone and the Waratahs back-pedalled just as the Melbourne Rebels did a week earlier.
Wilson finished off a strong shunt for the Reds’ opening try after the Waratahs had crossed first from a strong lineout drive finished by prop Tom Robertson.
There’s a youth revolution bubbling away in Australian rugby that has spun mouth-watering options at both the Reds and Waratahs.
Reds coach Brad Thorn was upbeat that the trial was a step up from the lopsided pre-season opener against a sub-standard Melbourne Rebels side a week earlier.
“It was a good hitout without injuries, you saw some skill from both sides and part of that was the different calibre of players from the Waratahs compared to a week earlier,” Thorn said.
Thorn said hard-running No.8 Harry Wilson, 20, had made an impact with his two auditions in the trials.
“He’s a prospect isn’t he and let’s people know he’s out there,” Thorn said.
The Waratahs lost replacement flyhalf Mack Mason with a groin strain when he came on after half-time and his fitness for Super Rugby’s opening round is questionable.
Waratahs coach Rob Penney conceded the Reds “comprehensively beat us” and cited a “lack of stickability in tackles” as a major issue.
“There was inconsistency with the scrum and across the park really with passes behind the shoulder or around the ankles so we’ll review all of that,” Penney said.
“We had four Wallabies returning for their first game time since the World Cup and for Kurtley (Beale) to play 70 minutes was great credit to the man.”
Beale went big early this week by rating rookie Mark Nawaqanitawase as “Folau-like” with his aerial skills but there were plenty nodding in Dalby.
Beale almost looked to want to prove the point himself.
He banged one cross-field kick to the right sideline that the teenage winger grabbed superbly in the air while on the run before adding an offload.
With time almost up, Nawaqanitawase scooped up a pass on his bootlaces, stalled the final Reds defender with an in-and-away and dived over for a try on the shortside.
Super Rugby here he comes. The same can be said of young Waratahs flyhalf Will Harrison, just 20 but at home with this lift in speed and intensity.
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World Cup teammates Tupou and Michael Hooper showed that any interstate game has fire when they grappled early.
Tupou partially cartwheeled Hooper away, the pair grappled and Hooper parted by giving the prop a pat on the head.
It was the end of a huge week for Dalby with much-needed rain on drought-ravaged paddocks and nearly 4000 at the Dalby Leagues Club ground.
It was a wonderful night of code co-operation...the league boys kept the beer proceeds in the clubhouse and rugby types kept the cash from the tents and beer outlets around the ground.
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. Get excited about Super Rugby’s new wave. There’s not a 21st birthday between Isaac lucas, Harry Wilson and exciting NSW winger Mark Nawaqanitawase yet all have great rugby skills not robotic moves and they showed them in the Dalby trial.
2. New Reds No.8 Harry Wilson is a beast and reaching out for the line for his try was no easy feat with the footy like soap in the humid conditions in Dalby. He can cart the ball and off-load.
3. Liam Wright is making a good early fist of captaincy. He’s leading on the field with his actions and stepping up as team spokesman. A head cut and black eye in Dalby just did not add to his looks when he’s already wearing a mullet.
4. Taking top rugby to the regions is a winner. The Dalby community turned out in force with nearly 4000 spectators and individual fans stopping players on-field post-game to thank them for coming. More of it please.
5. The high tackle issue is still a handbrake for the Reds because lock Angus Blyth was yellow carded in Dalby to follow Filipo Daugunu’s five-match ban for his spear tackle in Gladstone.
REDS 28 (H Wilson, L Wright, J Campbell, M Sorovi tries; B Hegarty con, J Campbell 3 con) bt WARATAHS 19 (T Robertson, W Harrison, M Nawaqanitawase tries; W Harrison 2 con)
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