Carter Gordon injured as Queensland defeats New Zealand juggernauts
Carter Gordon had the chance to be the contender of the year and was about to lead the Queensland Reds to a shock victory over the mighty Crusaders when he suddenly began writhing in pain.
The Wallabies’ fifth-eighth batsman now faces a tense wait to determine the extent of the knee injury he sustained in the 31-26 victory over New Zealand juggernauts. He was limping badly and his leg was placed in a brace.
This otherwise fascinating encounter was a bittersweet moment; especially given he entered the showdown as the leading contender to clinch Australia’s shot at No.10 when Queensland coach Les Kiss took the national reins at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
Gordon’s defeat will leave the Reds hopeful that Tom Lynagh, who was out with a hamstring problem before falling ill, can return after next week’s bye, with Harry McLaughlin-Phillips also showing impressive signs as a starter.
When asked about Gordon’s condition, Kiss said: “I spoke to Carter later, but we don’t know.”
“He made contact, when he came out he didn’t feel anything, then he stood up and walked away, he felt a little uneasy and in pain. If I said something now, I think I would have guessed.”
“[Lynagh] He missed the first half of the week again due to some illness, but he needs to work hard this week and the bye week, so he needs to put his hand up and train well.”
Until his injury, Gordon was performing strongly to help expose gaps in the Crusaders’ defence; Only the Reds’ control of the ball prevented them from inflicting serious carnage on their Kiwi opponents.
His attempt was truly magical: it featured Filipo Daugunu crossing the line, a tackle from each team and a daring left-foot strike from No.8 Harry Wilson; This proved to be the perfect weight for Gordon to jump after the ball race.
After the Crusaders opened the scoring through Christian Lio-Willie, the effort gave Queensland their first lead, but with quick blindside work from captain Fraser McReight to square the books.
“I think it’s a reflection of what this team represents; the team is always looking for moments to find a way to make it work to their advantage. They don’t die wondering,” Kiss said, reflecting on the miracle attempt.
“The whole match wasn’t neat and tidy and moments like that probably reflected that. You still have to find a way and fight hard for things.”
Gordon looked destined to lead his team home in the second term; A break and kick from Kalani Thomas led to Tim Ryan’s try to break the 14-all deadlock and the Reds thought they had extended their lead from kick-off through Jock Campbell.
Replays showed the full-back went down trying to bring the ball down while being tackled by two defenders after backing up Filipo Daugunu’s charge, but that was quickly an offshoot of Gordon’s vision of him being supported from the ground by two coaches.
While the Crusaders rebalanced things shortly after his departure, his troops managed to finish the job: Daugunu crossed from close range to celebrate his 100th Super Rugby cap, while Louis Werchon pounced on a loose ball and raced 60 meters to end the clash.
The No 9 swap between Thomas and Werchon, who have both created game-defining moments, has certainly eased the absence of Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott, who is yet to play this year after undergoing surgery on a serious hamstring tear against the All Blacks last year.
Kiss wasn’t sure if McDermott would be fit to make a comeback after the bye, but stressed the remaining duo have the tools to lead the Reds to first place.
“It takes as much time as it needs to, and it’s hard because we want to be optimistic with him and we talk about medical processes and rehab, but he doesn’t even bat an eyelid,” Kiss said.
“He’s just doing his job, he’s a great resource for us, he’s extremely helpful and he’s a big part of the leadership group. I see him in the gym all the time and he’s doing whatever he can to push the next bar of strength.”
“We would definitely like to take him, but the two kids are doing a pretty good job right now.”
