Queensland Reds trio Carter Gordon, Jock Campbell, Filipo Daugunu prove too much for NSW Waratahs to handle

Reds full-back Jock Campbell always seemed to have all the makings of a star; except one. Call it explosiveness or top-end acceleration, but it was the one quality that wasn’t always obvious, besides his high rugby IQ. But after five rounds of Super Rugby it may be time to reconsider that assessment: Campbell looks fast.

Campbell, 30, has seemingly added a yard of pace and played a key role in the Reds’ victories over the Brumbies and Waratahs in back-to-back weeks. Against the Waratahs, Campbell beat three defenders, made two clean breaks and scored a try.

Also his ability to make contact with Waratah Reilly probably saved a try in the 73rd minute. This could bode well for the Reds later in the season. They are fourth in the table despite not playing very well collectively.

Campbell was a big part of that, and it’s hard not to be excited by the glimpses of Treyvon Pritchard at the other end of the age spectrum. The 18-year-old football player’s feet were electrified.

Fiji wins again

Scenes in Ba, Fiji, during the home side’s 42-27 victory over the Brumbies once again demonstrated Drua’s unique contribution to Super Rugby Pacific. Cheered on by the crowd, the Druals appeared to have found their mojo again after some worrying signs of decline last year.

The Brumbies struggled in sauna-like conditions, but the credit must first go to the reborn Drua; Etonia senior number 6 Waqa put in an outstanding performance during his 53 minutes on the court.

The biggest lesson for the Brumbies is what they already know: they are simply not on the same side without No.9 Ryan Lonergan.

Lonergan turned the game around almost single-handedly when he was injected off the bench with half an hour remaining: he became the heart, soul and brains of the operation in Canberra.

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh was also in Fiji for the match. During a brief moment in the commentary box, he hinted at the intriguing prospect that the Samoan and Tongan teams would follow in Drua’s pre-Super footsteps and take part in an Australian competition. This would be a huge step forward for rugby in the Pacific.

Loading

Mea culpa – the referees were right

The match officials from last week’s Brumbies-Reds game in Canberra deserve an apology. They understood Daugunu’s call to “knock on the door” 100 percent correctly, and those of us who say it is wrong have to accept it.

To be clear, the match officials didn’t even ask for an apology from me, as some might have, but additional angle provided by Rugby Australia showed Damon Murphy and his team were right.

The lesson here is that slow-motion replays are only evidence, not the whole truth.