Karmichael Hunt’s first Super Rugby start a fizzer as brilliant Brumbies rout Reds 47-3

KARMICHAEL Hunt’s first Super Rugby match proved a fizzer as a fired-up Brumbies side routed his Queensland Reds 47-3 in Canberra.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 13: Nic White of the Brumbies scores a try during the round one Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Reds at GIO Stadium on February 13, 2015 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

WARNING children. The Reds were awful.

Even a life-giving transfusion from the $1 million of injured talent on their shell-shocked bench would not have saved the Queensland Reds from their inglorious 47-3 fright night in Canberra.

Friday night’s disorganised crashlanding was a jolting reality check on hopes for the season because fit-again David Pocock and ACT Brumbies taught the Reds a lesson in just about every area of the game.

The tryless Reds were out of it 21-3 by half-time in this mismatch and the final margin of 44 points eclipsed the 51-8 embarrassment of 2004 as the heaviest loss to the Brumbies.

Replay all the action with video highlights, stats and scores at Match Centre

The ruthless Brumbies bustled better, showed the only backline deception, mauled menacingly upfield and exposed the ragged defensive organisation of the visiting backs time and again.

Big name off-season signings James O’Connor and Adam Thomson, desperately needed to face the Western Force at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday, were helpless onlookers from the bench beside the injured Quade Cooper and Anthony Faingaa.

Matt Toomua on the charge for the Brumbies.

Welcome to Super Rugby Karmichael Hunt. He stepped from the T20-style frolics of the trials to the real thing and found it as hard as every one of his teammates.

He had little room to operate in the face of rushing Brumbies defence which forced him to take steps sideways. His catch-and-pass distribution meant supports were easily picked off.

There was no deception from the Reds, no angle changes in attack. Centre Samu Kerevi was whistled back when he did dive over for a “try” because partner Chris Feauai-Sautia had accidentally run interference by skittling defender Christian Lealiifano.

The red faces were matched by a red card in the closing minute when former skipper James Horwill was sent off for a second yellow card offence over ruck infringements.

Huge credit to the Brumbies. They were worthy six tries-to-nil victors.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika would have been delighted in the stands to watch man-of-the-match flanker Pocock play a full 80 minutes and hooker Stephen Moore make a 30-minute comeback off the bench in his first match for eight months after major knee surgery.

Robbie Coleman scores the opening try for the Brumbies.

Pocock tackled powerfully and was like a ship’s captain on the rudder with the ball at the back of numerous rolling mauls expertly put together by the Brumbies.

The Reds had expected to hammer out some authority in the forwards but any possession was patchy. The Reds passed so poorly that flanker Curtis Browning spilt two balls way over his head in three minutes because JJ Taulagi and Will Genia could not hit the mark.

Quick ball wide to fullback Robbie Coleman for the first try was an ominous early sign.

Coleman’s spiral pass to Joe Tomane just before half-time looked so forward it might have been gridiron but it counted and exposed the Reds’ backline defence again.

One rattling hit by 18-year-old replacement winger Campbell Magnay on Coleman was a better sign but the Reds efforts were spluttering.

Brumbies halfback Nic White won a points decision over Genia. He dabbed a grubber kick from the ruckbase through his rival halfback’s legs to make it 35-3 when the rout was in full swing.

BRUMBIES 47 (Robbie Coleman, James Dargaville, Tevita Kuridrani, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua, Nic White tries Christian Leali’ifano 4 cons 3 pens) bt QUEENSLAND REDS 3 (Karmichael Hunt pen) at GIO Stadium. Referee: Angus Gardner.

Originally published as Karmichael Hunt’s first Super Rugby start a fizzer as brilliant Brumbies rout Reds 47-3