Once again, the trigger of adversity from a red card brought out the best in the Queensland Reds as they surged to a dominant 21-7 win over their arch rivals.
The Brumbies looked in full stride midway through the first half with the Cam Clark try but that was it.
This was a superb Reds display to end the Brumbies’ unbeaten run and whet the appetite for the next clash between these clubs in Super Rugby Pacific.
So what did we learn?
1 THE PETAIA SHOW
This was the most significant game of the Jordan Petaia trial at fullback. It wasn’t just the skills he showed but staying on the intensity of the game for the full 80 minutes.
He had the petrol in the tank to go all the way and the healthy body to go with it.
He did some terrific things and was the biggest influence on the game for big chunks of it.
With the ball in two hands he forced some hesitation on the Brumbies defence and ran 50m upfield from his own quarter later in the first half. The Reds were down to 14 men at the time and the bold decision to run, not kick, was rewarded.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t position a support to turn it into a try.
Earlier, he’d hoofed a 50m kick downfield and chased hard enough to tackle Jesse Mogg for a big gain of ground.
In the air...wow. The James O’Connor high kick that Petaia leapt expertly for set up the crucial Fraser McReight try.
Every time Petaia got the ball (seven runs for 95m) he was a handful.
The demerits were familiar...he lost the handle on the ball on a blindside scrum play when a try beckoned and couldn’t position a support after his big break.
Overall, it was an overwhelming plus for Petaia and a step closer to that Wallaby gamble at fullback against England in July.
2 TRIGGER TIME FOR THE REDS
Pre-game, lock Ryan Smith had lamented that it took an adverse event in matches to bring out the best in the Reds.
It happened again. The Reds were down to 14 men after the TuainaTaiiTualima red card when they clicked into gear.
The cool, calm James O’Connor was key. On penalty advantage, he adjusted his call and steered a bomb, not to the wing, but closer to the goalposts for a leaping Petaia.
Petaia gobbled it like he did against the Brumbies last year. It set up the key Fraser McReight try and the Reds were away.
There was adversity pre-game when co-captain Liam Wright was ruled out after damaging his ankle in the warm-ups.
3 TATE McDERMOTT
This was McDermott’s best game of the season. He was fearless with his twisting, stepping darts into the midst of the Brumbies defence.
It was a pure captain’s knock and his teammates followed.
The Wallabies are well off with three top international halfbacks that could start in any Test with McDermott, Nic White and Jake Gordon in the ranks.
4 VALETINI...UNLUCKY
It’s broken record stuff now but they're so often seems a mitigating circumstance on yellow and red cards.
It was hard to see what Brumbies backrower Rob Valetini had done that was so evil.
By the very nature of being elusive, his target (Tate McDermott) was twisting, turning, stepping and dropping his body height.
Valetini went in hard and seemed to catch the lowering McDermott high on the inside of his beefy bicep with a wrapping arm.
There were 13,257 Queensland fans in the stands and even they booed at that yellow card call.
5 SCRUM LOTTERY
It’s an intriguing situation isn’t it? The scrums between the Reds and Brumbies were a real wrestle for supremacy between the best three props in the country. They almost inevitably ended in a scrum penalty in the first half and another sigh from the crowd.
It’s hard to know the answer but no survey of fans (ever) lists “scrums” in the top 10 reasons why they pay at the gate.
Technically, the scrums were far better than the mess in the Canberra clash between the sides recently. Pressure was applied and one team buckled which is the essence of scrummaging. Still, more clean scrums and less time taken would make everyone happier.
