Reds pip Sharks in Brisbane

According to the official Sharks website, the positive intent was there from the young Sharks side, but had to encounter a resurgent Reds’ side who have performed below their own standards in the last couple of years since winning the tournament in 2011.

For long periods, it seemed that we were just too good and in fact led for much of the game. It was only in the last 10 minutes that the Reds managed to finally break the shackles allowing them to sneak in at the end.

It was  a game that was all about pressure and either team could have won.

It all started very well for the visitors, with terrific defence forcing pressure on Quade Cooper as the home side tried to break through in the midfield.

Jean- Luc du Preez finished off the turn-over possession with less than two minutes of the game played and Pat Lambie sent the ball sailing right through the middle of the uprights as the men in black too an early lead.

The Reds hammered away and found a gap but couldn’t exploit the space. But they were rewarded with a penalty that Cooper converted to put his team on the scoreboard a few minutes later.

The early parts of the game were a study in Reds attack vs Sharks defence, but again, pressure on defence led to turnover ball and although there was no try, there was a Lambie penalty to cancel out Cooper’s to restore the seven point lead.

Another strong attack led to a second penalty with Cooper reducing the margin to four points in a game where possession was largely dominated by the home side. However, pressure once more turned into points, and Lambie kicked a second successful penalty to keep our side in the lead.

Pressure from the Reds eventually took its toll as Scott Higginbotham managed to score off a ruck right up against the goal post. Cooper converted and it was Even-Stevens with just a handful of minutes left before half-time.

Pat Lambie did, however, have the last say as the Reds messed up a defensive line-out from their 22 which later led to a penalty that edged our team into a 16-13 half-time lead.

The Sharks struck the first blow in the second half with a strong build-up before Lambie knocked over his fourth penalty.

A sequence of penalty advantages led the Reds back into Sharks territory with Samu Kerevi closing out his team’s second try. 

With teh Reds down a man, Lambie sent a kickable penalty to touch rather which saw his forwards claim the line-out throw and drive over.  The TMO couldn’t see a reason not to award the try and Tera Mtembu was awarded the touchdown, with Lambie stretching the lead to 26-18 with the final quarter left to play.

Kerevi had his second try referred to the TMO and again it was okayed with the Reds back in the hunt with Cooper missing again.

The Reds got over for a third try, replacement James Tuttle dragging two defenders over with him in the corner to take the lead for the first time in the match, albeit by just two points.

The Reds lost a second player to the bin for reckless tackling and would spend the last five minutes of the game down to 14 men. This allowed Lambie to line up a difficult shot close to the touchline and over 40m out to retake the lead but it drifted across the uprights.