Reds looking to launch into Super finals with a bang
Melissa Woods |
The Queensland Reds want to hit the ground running for the Super Rugby Pacific finals, determined to find their best form in their last-round clash against Fijian Drua.
The Reds play their last home match of the season, up against the Drua on Friday night, before the play-offs get underway.
If they remain in sixth spot they will travel to Wellington to take on the table-topping Hurricanes, who have only dropped two matches all season.
The Reds (7-6) can finish as high as fourth, but they will need the Crusaders and Brumbies to slip up.
With the winners of the next week’s three “quarter-finals” plus the highest-ranked losing team progressing to the semi-finals, sealing fourth spot is pivitol for those three teams.
Playmaker Carter Gordon said his Reds couldn’t afford to look past the Drua, despite the islanders sitting back in 10th on the ladder.
“We’re focused on the Drua, they’re by no means an easy team,” the Wallabies flyhalf said.
“We’re looking to play our best rugby this week against the Drua and wherever that finishes us on the table, we’ll look at that next week.”
Queensland scored a try more synonymous with the flying Fijians early in their win over Moana Pasifika last round with winger Tim Ryan completing a sweeping 70m raid on counter-attack.
Gordon said the try, which involved interplay with fullback Jock Campbell, showed what the Reds attack was capable of when they clicked.
“You look at the try Tim Ryan scored … that’s an element to our game that we’re excited to bring alive more,” the 25-year-old said.
“It’s putting ourselves in positions to be able to do that, we want to iron out the mistakes, iron out the little things that are hurting us and then off the back of that we think we get some more opportunities to create like Timmy and Jock did in that play.”
Queensland led Moana 26-7 after 44 minutes but let their rivals steam ahead 31-26 with five minutes to play before Campbell scored the match-winner.
Gordon said his team needed to be better.
“That’s kind of been a little bit of a story throughout the year … we’ve gone out to a good lead or we’ve put some really good things in play and then we’ve just let it slip a little bit so we’re looking to iron that out, definitely.”
AAP