Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs, scores, results, kickoff time

Carter Gordon put his hand up as the Wallabies No.10 shot front-runner with his two-try heroics sealing the Queensland Reds’ 26-17 victory over the Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium.

It took over an hour for the match to transform from a scrappy affair into an enterprising thriller; Both teams put aside their endless boxing kicks and crossed their arms through their hands.

With Test coach Joe Schmidt watching on from the stands, it appeared New South Wales would be the ones to steal the points in Brisbane after breaking a 7-7 deadlock that lasted 41 minutes thanks to Ioane Moananu’s rolling try.

That scoreline had stood from the 16th minute after Gordon’s bomb and Campbell’s kicking pressure set up Wallabies captain Harry Wilson for the opening try, before Waratahs winger Jamie Adamson (with Charlie Gamble included late) charged in to respond.

However, in the last 20 minutes, the floodgates finally opened. Campbell cut into the middle of the park and found a late clearance for Reds winger Joe Brial to slot deep into the Waratahs area.

Just before half-time, Kalani Thomas’ long ball from the wing fell to ground, but Gordon was ready to collect the scraps and score his first goal.

Shortly afterwards, Wallabies flyer Max Jorgensen recovered from his slumber; These teams were kept much quieter than their two-try success when they last met in the first round. The 21-year-old finished his run down the right-hand side with a strike in front and then put another boot between Campbell and Filipo Daugunu for Harry Potter to score.

Daugunu responded quickly with a long-range break from his own backfield, linking up with Isaac Henry to score, before Waratah center Triston Reilly tried to produce something truly special with a remarkably acrobatic dive into the corner.

Replays showed number 13 bringing the ball down and then slotting it over the byline and it wasn’t long before Gordon burst into open space on halfway and showed impressive speed to cross the line. The Wallabies winger left Harry Potter for dead after picking him up outside.

“We see it in training,” Reds coach Les Kiss said of Gordon’s blistering speed. “I was trying to give him a rest, I didn’t want to play him for those long minutes because we had so many injuries.

“I couldn’t give him that rest too soon, and we had to keep one in our pocket. We’re doing a lot to manage some of his load and doing the right things there.”

“There were a lot of players who stood up and absorbed the pressure of possession. We knew we had a plan if we stayed in the fight, it wasn’t always completely right but the plan got us to a point where we knew the last 15 minutes could be important for us.”

Chaos in the second half masked what had been a poor encounter up to that point and the clash was heralded as the scrap of the derby rivalry in Australian rugby.

The opening stanza became a battle between the 22-metre lines, with more than half of the total possession coming between the Waratahs 22 and half-field.

Boxing strikes were also a priority in the opening hour; Opposition halfbacks Louis Werchon – who came up with a stunning 50-22 scoreline only for the Reds to break right in – and Jake Gordon each punted six times in the first 40 minutes, their five-eighths trying to distribute the ball to little avail.

While the unlucky Henry, who has endured one of the game’s most horrific injury sprees, showed impressive signs on Saturday night, the Reds will be hopeful of welcoming the more creative Hunter Paisami, who suffered a leg injury in the 12 over, to face Drua on their trip to Fiji, where the club have yet to win.

Fraser McReight said of Henry: “This is not his first success; everyone in the Reds environment knows how outstanding Isaac is.” “He’s had a terrible time with injuries and it upsets us all because we know how good he is. He gets the opportunity, he just gets an opportunity and puts himself in every position; he’s so skilful, physical and strong that he stands out when Hunter isn’t there.”

Reds coach Les Kiss will be pleased with his team’s resilience; He would go on to attempt a further 77 tackles at full-time as he went on to rack up a 12-5 penalty tally.