Queensland Reds defeat the Brumbies 27-17 in Super Rugby clash in Canberra

QUEENSLAND Reds have landed an early blow in the Australian conference with a 10-point victory over the Brumbies in Canberra.

Lachie Turner (L) scored a try on his Reds debut.

NEW Reds hero Lachie Turner became the most popular defector from NSW since Chris Latham with the crunch plays that set up the superb overthrow of the Brumbies at their Canberra fortress.

The qualities for a big 2014 season were everywhere in the 27-17 victory.

It was the stout defence to repel two lineout drives on their tryline late in the second half and to find the will to tackle when down to 14 men when the Brumbies runners started to stampede.

The Reds played nearly the entire second 40 minutes in their own half. Lock Rob Simmons somehow got under prop Scott Sio to deny him a try and lock partner James Horwill stalled one of those lineout drives led by impressive David Pocock.

Those detractors who had largely ignored the Queenslanders in predictions on which side would win the Australian conference must eat humble pie.

As proud talisman Will Genia said pre-match: “We are side that knows how to win and can find a way.”

The match had a bizarre conclusion with Brumbies fullback Jesse Mogg spilling a kick when under no pressure on his own line with two minutes to play. Replacement Chris Feauai-Sautia dashed through to pick up and score the clincher.

News_Rich_Media: Queensland Reds coach Richard Graham reflects on his side's opening round Super Rugby win over the Brumbies on Saturday night.

Turner used all his experience as a 15-Test Wallaby to rescue the Reds when under severe early pressure. Twice in five minutes, he made try-foiling tackles but better was to follow when he swooped on a Quade Cooper pass to put the first Reds try of 2014 on the scoreboard.

He had to find a way to plant the ball in a tackle but he did. In the strong hour he played, he proved convincingly that the Reds had punted shrewdly on a player who was grounded for most of last year with a broken leg in Sydney.

Late in the first half, Turner found a way to get under Mogg as he dived for the tryline to deny a five-pointer.

He spent his rugby life in blue but Turner now fits perfectly the Queensland team jacket with the red pocket Q that he only received last Thursday.

It was a game of astonishing changes of momentum. The Brumbies pressed hard first, the Reds snapped back with two tries and the energy to half-time and the Brumbies rallied as the dominant team for most of the second half.

When Reds prop Greg Holmes was sinbinned midway through the second half, it almost seemed inevitable that the Brumbies would find a way to win.

Certainly. Mogg’s fine try in that period from a slick set move from a scrum put the acid on the 14-man Reds unit.

Aidan Toua was a five-star performer in the trials but he was all at sea in the opening 15 minutes when the Brumbies applied the pressure that was the hallmark of their game in 2013’s superb run to the final.

In that early period, Toua spilt a high kick, lost the handle on another and barely laid a finger on Henry Speight and Joe Tomane when the big-haired Brumbies wingers both side-stepped on different touchlines.

On both occasions, the experienced Lachie Turner mopped up brilliantly with stout covering tackles in his own quarter when tries were in the offing for the home side.

News_Image_File: Jake Schatz of the Reds competes for a lineout against the Brumbies.

It’s full credit to Toua that he composed himself. Midway through the first half, he put on the afterburners for the try that everyone in Australian rugby will be talking about for the next week.

Flyhalf Quade Cooper fired a double cutout pass to Toua, who showed his sharp footwork by stepping inside the groping Speight almost as he caught the ball. The athletic Toua took off over more than 50m to score a brilliant try.

Wow.

Those regulars at his Easts club in Brisbane have seen such deeds time and again at Bottomley Park but just five Reds outings in three seasons had made him almost the invisible man for Reds followers.

The Papua New Guinea-born Toua has pace because he veered by Jesse Mogg, who made no impression when forced to turn and despairingly chase.

The Reds did not score a try in 80 minutes of hard toil a year ago when beaten 24-6 in Canberra by the Brumbies and their breakdown lion David Pocock.

News_Image_File: James Horwill celebrates the Reds’ victory.

Flanker Pocock earned penalties again on Saturday night for his brilliance at the tackle.

Frustrated Reds opponent Will Genia made it clear he felt his fellow Wallaby was too often loitering on the Reds side of the ruck. At one ruck, he complained directly: “Poey..get on the right side.”

The Reds led 17-9 at half-time and deservedly so after weathering the strong Brumbies opening. While the Brumbies often sniped with one-out runners, Cooper and co were probing with a more expansive game.

Cooper’s sore neck was no issue. If it was, he would have got up gingerly when rival Matt Toomua crunched him with a fine body shot early in the second half when the Reds playmaker was trying to be too cute with a grubber kick he never got to fire.

Centre Pat McCabe celebrated his 50th match for the Brumbies but was already getting stitches before half-time to a bloodied head wound.

Reds 27 (A Toua, L Turner, C Feauai-Sautia tries; Q Cooper 3 conv, 2 pen goals) bt Brumbies 17 (J Mogg try; J Mogg 3 pen goals, N White pen goal)

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