Brisbane - The Reds beat the Cheetahs 30-17 in an error-strewn Super Rugby match at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The scores were tied at 10-10 at the halftime break.
The visitors took the lead in the third minute when flyhalf Fred Zeilinga nailed a penalty after the Reds were blown up for offside. However, the Aussie side replied with three points of their own when flyhalf Jack McIntyre punished the Cheetahs for an infringement at the breakdown.
The Reds played the last 10 minutes of the first half with only 14 men on the field after centre Anthony Fainga’a was sent to the bin for a late charge on a Cheetahs player. And the visitors capitalised on their numerical advantage in the 34th minute when their loose forward Uzair Cassiem went from short range after their maul was stopped just short of the Reds’ line.
The home side, though, managed to hit back with basically the last play of the first half. The Reds destroyed the Cheetahs’ scrum before Curtis Browning picked up the ball and fell over the line.
The Reds took the lead for the first time in the match in the 46th minute when scrumhalf Nick Frisby went over the line after great interplay by their backs. McIntyre then kicked another penalty soon after that to give the hosts a 10-point cushion.
Frisby then scored his second try in the 63rd minute. After the Reds’ forwards bashed it up close to the Cheetahs’ tryline, Frisby threw an outrageous dummy before crossing the line.
The Cheetahs got a bit of a lifeline in the 70th minute when Reds flanker Liam Gill was sent off for a professional foul, and Raymond Rhule dotting down soon after that.
The Cheetahs needed to score two tries in the last three minutes to win the game. Fullback Clayton Blommetjies seemed to score with just under two minutes to go, but the try was disallowed after the referee penalised and yellow-carded the visitors’ replacement loose forward Willie Brits for throwing a punch.
In the end, the Reds held on for the win.
Scorers:
Reds (10) 30 – Tries: Curtis Browning, Nick Frisby (2). Conversions: Jake McIntyre (3). Penalties: McIntyre (3).
Cheetahs (10) 17 – Tries: Uzair Cassiem, Raymond Rhule. Conversions: Fred Zeilinga (2). Penalties: Zeilinga.
African News Agency