Rugby: Reds defy a Blue storm

Peter Saili, of the Blues, hits the defensive wall during last night's Super 15 match against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Photo / Getty Images

Reds 37 Blues 31

The Rage of the Reds decided transtasman honours last night as the Blues' unbeaten bubble finally burst.

Bookend blemishes from the Blues hurt them, they started poorly and were unable to build on their momentum in the last quarter as the Reds held their composure long enough to deliver an absorbing win.

The 30,000 crowd were rewarded with an engrossing scrap for top dog in the Super 15. This quarrel of the conference leaders was high-octane.

The Reds earned the bragging rights, the Blues took two bonus points though when Ranger scored in injury time and Luke McAlister converted from the touchline.

The Blues' ambition was to spread the ball in the dry conditions. They had trimmed their recent games to suit heavy conditions in New Zealand, kicking more.

It was a winning formula but for this match coach Pat Lam brought out the attacking ball-in-hand template. He wanted variety though - crunch from his forwards to drag in the Reds so there was space on the outside and also attacking the inner fringes when the Reds fanned out in cover defence.

Problem was they did not get enough early ball. They were shut out in the first quarter and underwent serious backline surgery when Benson Stanley left concussed.

For the Reds, Quade Cooper was dialled in from the kickoff, the magician and the torturer who found support all around him. The five-eighths opened the scoring after just three minutes, strolling over with the defence outflanked.

When Cooper dished the ball off, others, like Digby Ioane, chimed in.

It was a red tide of destruction and the Blues' defence cracked.

Ioane turned a difficult up and under into a try when he eluded six tacklers, Scott Higginbotham made the break and Saia Fainga'a bumped off replacement Lachie Munro with ridiculous ease.

The mayhem continued as Higginbotham strolled in with the jagged defensive line beaten. At 24-0 it was looking dire for the Blues.

But they have too much talent to be dormant for long. New dad Chris Lowrey scraped the ball on the line for their opening try, converted by Luke McAlister.

The Reds lost possession and from a stirring counter, Munro had an overlap and a truckload of time to score even when he slipped and completed a forward roll.

Even though Ali Williams coughed up another penalty before the break, the Blues had clawed their way back to a 27-14 deficit at the break, a margin which they knew they could breach if they got their game going.

Both sides butchered some chances after the break, but the impetus was with the Blues, Brett sliced past a forward and turned the ball inside to his halfback Alby Mathewson for a try, McAlister kicked a penalty and the Blues were on.

But deep in the pocket, Brett's clearing kick was charged down by replacement hooker James Hanson who flopped on the ball for a crucial try.

The Blues compounded that error when Williams was penalised at a ruck and then marched 10m for his chat. Cooper converted the try and the penalty and with 10 minutes to run, the Blues were two converted tries adrift.

Reds 37
Tries: Q Cooper, S Fainga'a, S Higginbotham, J Hanson
Penalties: Cooper 2
Conversion: Cooper 4

Blues 31
Tries: C Lowrey, L Munro, A Mathewson, R Ranger
Penalty: L McAlister
Cons: L McAlister 4

Halftime: 27-14