The Queensland Reds won a Super Rugby title for the first time in the professional era as they beat the Crusaders 18-13 in a fascinating match at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium earlier today.
The Reds were underdogs in many ways but showed their worth as a ferocious forward and defensive effort stopped the might of the Crusaders, who were hoping to take their eighth ever title, and first since 2008.
With scores tied at 13-13, Will Genia broke the match open late in the second half as he split the Crusaders defense and sprinted down field to score a memorable try. The inside run by Quade Cooper kept the tacklers guessing, so Genia just kept going.
“He didn’t need me in the end and I was just there to congratulate him so what a fitting end to be right there by him when he scored the match-winning try,” Cooper said.
“It pretty much sealed the game from there.”
Wing Digby Ioane had earlier scored a nice try of his own, and promised his fans a big celebration should they win the match. He did so with a full breakdance routine after the match, and brought out the famous turtle for good measure. A short clip of that can be seen in the interview that’s included below.
Please bear in mind that both clips below are quick posts that aren’t of the greatest quality. Better highlights and clips from the match will be posted over the next day or so.
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