Rabble Reds go into recovery mode
The defending champion Reds will make a timely return to their home ground in Brisbane next Friday, after a disastrous three-match tour of South Africa and Australia.
After a heartbreaking 22-27 loss in a brutal gruelling encounter with the Sharks in Durban, the Reds ran into a brutal Bulls team and suffered a 8-61 humiliation in Pretoria. Their stretch of away matches ended with another thumping, 19-45, at the hands of the Western Force in Perth.
The Reds entered the match determined to replicate their round two success against their Perth-based rivals, but were unable to overcome a determined Force line-up.
Following three straight road matches the Queenslanders must now regroup ahead of their return to Suncorp Stadium next Friday, where they are scheduled to clash with Australian Conference leaders the Brumbies.
The Reds are undefeated at Suncorp Stadium in their two matches played at the venue during 2012, while the Brumbies were the only side capable of beating Queensland at home last year.
“It will be a massive game for us and we need to get up for it,” captain James Horwill said.
“[Saturday] wasn’t good enough and we need to take a look at what we’re doing.
“It’s difficult because we aren’t playing as well as we can as a team. That’s what it’s about – performing as a group. We need to make sure we get better and at the moment we aren’t where we should be.”
The Force took control of the match from the early stages with a 21-0 lead too much for the Queenslanders to overcome despite tries to prop James Slipper, lock Van Humphries and winger Dom Shipperley.
Slipper recorded his first Super Rugby try to get the Reds back into the game on the stroke of half-time before the Force regained their advantage following the break with an opportunistic charge-down effort.
Humphries continued a Reds fightback midway through the second half with a try down the right flank although it wasn’t enough despite Shipperley crossing for his fourth try this season as the full-time siren sounded.
“We didn’t play very well. When we gave them a lot of possession at the start and they made a lot of their opportunities,” Horwill said.
“From there we were chasing the ball. Probably the one thing we didn’t do is take our opportunities and we left our run a bit late.”
The Reds will now turn their attention to playing the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, April 6, before their schedule bye the following week will allow numerous injured players to return to action.
Force captain David Pocock was thrilled with one of the Force’s biggest wins, but said the challenge was to be more consistent.
“It was a very enjoyable game,” he said.
“The challenge is to back that up next week.”
