Reds show plenty of promise but ultimately suffer heartbreak at the hands of the Highlanders

The birth of a classic Reds centre pairing can only partly ease the pain of an emotional Super Rugby loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin as Samu Kerevi finds kid dynamite as his partner.

Samu Kerevi brushes off Dillon Hunt. Picture: Getty Images

The birth of a classic Reds centre pairing only partly eased the pain of an emotional 36-31 loss in Dunedin when Samu Kerevi found kid dynamite as his partner.

Captain Kerevi busted through tackles for 95m of running off eight ball-carries in the first half alone yet it was 18-year-old outside centre Jordan Petaia who was the eye-popping star.

Petaia made probing runs in the wide channels, set up outside supports better than the Reds have done for years and smashed Highlanders flanker Shannon Frizell backwards when in desperate defence.

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The balance in the centres worked superbly for a team playing proudly in maroon like anything but 18-point underdogs.

Petaia is the young gun the struggling Wallabies have been waiting for and if he continues this vein of form he is a certainty for the Rugby World Cup squad in Japan in September.

It was a night of high emotion with the Reds wearing black armbands for lock Izack Rodda who insisted on playing after the sudden death of his father this week.

Samu Kerevi is tackled by Teihorangi Walden.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto moves the ball forward.

Rodda was immense. He pinched a lineout, carted the ball, surged non-stop and he finished off the length-of-the-field counter-attack try that got the Reds back into it early in the second half.

The Reds were down 10-3, 24-10 and 29-17 but produced rousing rallies on each occasion to hit the front in style 31-29 with 24 minutes to play.

The dream-killer came just five minutes from full-time when a poor Moses Sorovi clearing kick was turned into a sweeping 65m Kiwi counter for a try.

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The Reds are still one of the worst kicking teams in world rugby because it was the second try giveaway of the night from rubbish kicks.

Everything else on the night should be highly encouraging for long-suffering Reds fans. There was heart and attitude to everything and they reached this pitch perhaps only twice in 16 games last year.

There was tempo and zeal to attack off the direct, strong play that all but ended the Highlanders’ 12-match winning streak in their roofed stadium.

Marty Banks is tackled by Caleb Timu.

Matt Faddes tries to fend off Moses Sorovi.

The Reds went ahead 31-29 with a surge to the tryline by debutant prop Feao Fotuaika. He would not have been fit enough to even make it to the 56-minute mark this time last year when he was 15.5kg heavier and gorging McDonalds, his favourite ice creams and four sugary V energy drinks a day.

It was a try of immense meaning for Fotuaika, who explained recently “I want to finish off my brother’s legacy … I play for family.”

Older brother Mosese took his own life in 2013 when on the verge of an NRL career with the Wests Tigers.

Kerevi admirably stuck to his creed: “There’s no excuses … we missed little jobs, key moments, and you can’t let it slip against a quality team.”

He saluted Rodda’s effort: “He stayed strong and we band together for him.”

Flyhalf Hamish Stewart was calm and efficient in a positive performance, ripped the best kick of the night for a 45m gain and a fine hand in the Rodda try.

Prop Taniela Tupou added a lovely passing touch in the Chris Feauai-Sautia try to his shunting in the dominant early Reds scrums.

HIGHLANDERS 36 (S.Frizell 2, R.Thompson, D.Hunt, B.Smith tries; J.Ioane 4 conv, pen goal) def REDS 31 (C.Feauai-Sautia, F.Fotuaika, M.Sorovi, I.Rodda tries; B.Hegarty 4 conv, pen goal)

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNT ABOUT THE REDS

1. Set piece strength.

Every Kiwi team will be uneasy about running into the dominant scrum that Taniela Tupou and his henchmen can unleash because that pack strength sets up so much for the Reds as it did in Dunedin. The Reds set a decisive tone from the first minute when they quickly assembled for a lineout and won it.

2. Young flyhalf Hamish Stewart.

The young playmaker made a positive impression with the timing of his passing, his link-work and hustling to back-up in the 90m try finished by Izack Rodda. Best of all, there was a good understanding with halfback Moses Sorovi.

3. Jordan Petaia is 18.

You have to keep repeating that because his youthful calmness is one of the traits that clues all his other skills together. He delayed a pass to hold a defender in the lead-up to the Sorovi try. It was a small thing in a big display at outside centre but a basic too many players muff.

4. Poor kicking game.

The Reds will have to improve here or the Crusaders will grab easy tries at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday night. Winger Chris Feauai-Sautia twice kicked ahead out wide with no chasers ... dumb stuff.

5. Believe.

That was the single-word marketing campaign for Queensland rugby entering this season and there was plenty to be excited by with four tries, the positive play and the return of the maroon jersey. Fans will return to Suncorp Stadium to watch that brand of footy.