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Injury scare as Beauden Barrett limps off during Blues’ win over Reds
By AAP
Beauden Barrett spun a web around the Queensland Reds before limping off as the Blues inflicted a 45-26 win in Brad Thorn's last game as coach at Suncorp Stadium.
The Reds were the first team to beat the Chiefs all season last week, ending a 10-year losing streak in New Zealand behind dogged defence and disciplined attack.
But that disappeared in Brisbane on Friday, the Reds missing 31 tackles as the Blues ran in six tries to four and moved into fourth on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.
It left the Reds in seventh and in danger of missing finals in Thorn's last season in charge, games away to the Highlanders and Fijian Drua to finish the regular season potentially both must-wins for them to remain in the frame.
Barrett's terrific short ball to Cameron Suafoa led to fullback Zarn Sullivan's first try and the No.10 scored the second himself.
The hosts couldn't bend the Blues' defensive line in the first half but were still right in it when Sef Fa'agase scored to make it a three-point game at the break.
Fraser McReight was then metres from the line when he knocked on looking to dive over, flying winger Mark Telea running 60m and grubbering for Barrett.
Barrett couldn't ground it and then limped off with a sore foot, the All Blacks talent joining five other Blues Test stars already on the sidelines as part of designated World Cup rest.
It didn't disrupt the Blues, Patrick Tuipulotu barging over from the next play to create the crucial buffer.
Fullback Sullivan took over the playmaking duties with aplomb to set up Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens.
Harry Wilson stretched out to score and make it 31-19 with 11 minutes to play but Telea had the reply from the restart to snuff out any hopes of a comeback.
Liam Wilson continued his good form to set up Josh Flook's first try but the Reds' set piece lacked punch and halfback Tate McDermott and fullback Jock Campbell were without the sparkle they showed in New Plymouth a week earlier.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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