Full Time: Reds (17) def Crusaders (16)

Half Time: Reds (7) trailed Crusaders (10)

Location: Lang Park Suncorp Stadium , 29 May 2011

Referee: Stuart Dickinson

In a sea of red QLD pulled the game out of the bag with a penalty sailing through the goal posts with seconds to spare smashing the Crusaders assault on the Lang park fortress.  The game for some will be remembered by some as an appalling decision by the ref (normal stance when your side loses) for other one of the best wins from a side that was a joke 2 years ago. 

The Reds have now won 11 out of 13 games and sit on the very top of the Super 15 log, 4 points clear of the Blues.  The best thing is that after last years’ efforts at redemption the side has matured, grown and now knows that they deserve to be there.  They have ground out wins, smashed other sides and they have the key ingredient that all sides need to make it, the ability to make your own luck.

The Reds don’t always play a flashy game, yes they kick the ball a hell of a lot more than most people think but you know that at any second they can produce a magical moment that can suck the breath out of any crowd for pure audacity.  Their ability to distribute the ball from one side to the other searching for the gap leaves you mesmerised while watching Cooper at the back dancing around defenders is something you need to see live.

The QLD fortress has been the site of two great victories this week.  The second is what we are talking about here though.  The game highlight was the defence and both sides were fantastic in attempting to smash the opposition in great hard and legal barrages. 

Arguably it was the Reds pack at the breakdown that was the difference. The speed that QLD was able to recycle the pill and get to and pilfer the Crusaders ball at key moments allowed them to control large passages of the game.  To counter the discrepancies in the breakdown the Crusaders tactics resulted in the whistle being used.   The Crusaders had clear advantage at scrum time and the Reds lineouts were well below par and at least 3 good attacking raids were butchered. 

In the first half the frenetic game had players charging from one end to the other and side to side as they both tried to play an expansive game and gain maximum points from turn-overs.  The attack was countered by the defence and the result of this was mistakes and turnovers that once again inspired another wave of attack.   Both sides had scything defence near the goal posts, combined with beautiful handing either lead to tries or try saving moments that had the crowd on tender hooks with groans and thunderous rapture depending on the result and which side you supported.

The second half was not as clinical as the pace drained players.  The play got scrappier but the reserves came on and lifted the tempo again.  The Crusaders controlled a large proportion of the second half once Robinson got injured.  This was a turning point in the match as the Reds breakdown dominance receded past parity and the Crusaders exploited this and the Reds scrappy play to retake the lead. 

Then something visibly happened. The Reds dug deep and suddenly started storming up the middle of the ground picking and driving until, depending on which side you supported either the cheating Crusaders got penalised again at the breakdown or the cheating ref awarded a bullshit penalty to the Reds. 

Regardless of your opposing views that ball sailing though the goal posts nailed the Crusaders into 4^th on the ladder and unleashed a roar of jubilation that must have given Robbie Deans key insights into how to win the RWC.

Damn but the Reds are going to miss Robinson.