Reds 21 Crusaders 27
A valiant Queensland Reds have given Super 14 kingpins the Crusaders a mighty scare at Suncorp Stadium, with the undermanned home side going down 27-21 in a pulsating contest.
The Reds shocked the six-time Super 14 champions by running out to a 14-8 halftime lead before failing at the death, hamstrung by the late sin-binning of Digby Ioane (65th minute) and Ben Lucas (72nd minute).
After absorbing a mountain of sustained pressure with two men off the field, the Reds almost had the final say when retiring flanker David Croft went close to diving over with seconds remaining.
They were given a penalty but a quick tap from hooker Stephen Moore caught his side unawares. The Reds could only slump to the turf while the visitors celebrated locking up top spot on the Super 14 ladder.
So lop-sided was the possession chart that the Crusaders spent some 14 minutes in the Reds' 22m zone, with Queensland having a three-minute cameo at the other end.
When Queensland fans stand up, it's usually to get to the bar first to start drowning their sorrows. Tonight the standing ovation from 21,768 fans was deserved for a team that just needs for its execution to match its heart.
"The Reds are a gusty team. They always have been. We kept them in the game, let the pressure off and they took advantage of it," Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said.
Queensland skipper James Horwill said his side was shattered at coming so close to dethroning the Super 14 favourites.
"That's probably one of the most disappointing losses I've been involved in," Horwill said.
Queensland host the Waratahs next week and may do so without Ioane and Lucas, who are in hot water for dangerous tackles, while Chris Latham left the field after 12 minutes with a shoulder injury.
After the opening seven minutes, the idea the Reds would hold a 14-8 halftime lead made as much sense as a badly translated Ikea instruction manual.
The Crusaders were relentless at the outset, never allowing the Reds to handle the ball longer than the phase or two that preceded a rushed clearing kick.
Even booting their way out of trouble was proving difficult, as Latham found out. The Wallaby fullback, in his first game back from injury, had a kick charged down in the first minute, than another in the second to begin a horror opening 10 minutes to the match.
To add to his woes, he missed a tackle he normally would have made that allowed Crusaders' winger Kade Poke to dive over in the corner, corking his shoulder in the process.
With Latham's 12th minute exit could have come a raising of the white flag. Instead came the start of a charge that had even the most ardent Reds fan checking their vision.
It began with Horwill's try, coming off the back of a razzle-dazzle attacking raid that began with a Morgan Turinui break and ended with the big backrower charging over after an inside offload from Quade Cooper.
Seven minutes later the Reds were at it again - and in similar, flowing style. Again Turinui had the Crusaders scrambling, this time breaking clear to fire a long ball aimed at Clinton Schifcofske.
It went over the winger's head but bounced into the hands of Peter Hynes, who brushed off the soft attempt of Poke to gallop around under the posts and set up a 14-5 lead.
Lucas found himself in the bad books with referee Mark Lawrence in the 21st minute when he was booked for a dangerous tackle on Stephen Brett, with his up-and-under attempt wheeling the Crusaders five-eighth around in mid-air.
The visitors had a chance to close the gap at halftime but Schifcofske's try-saver on Sean Maitland typified the resolve of the Super 14 battlers.
As began the first half, so did the second. A mountain of Crusaders ball gave them plenty of cracks at the Reds line but the Queensland wall stayed resolute.
Brett's missed field goal attempt showed the frustration of the Cantabrians, who fell further behind when Cooper danced over under the posts in the 50th minute, giving the Reds more than a sniff with 21-8 lead.
Deans sent in the cavalry in the 55th minute, with All Blacks superstar Dan Carter and crafty halfback Andrew Ellis into the equation.
Ioane, already suspended for a dangerous tackle once this season, will find himself outed once again after a 65th minute spear on Casey Laulala ended with a yellow card.
The incident didn't look good for the young winger and his disappointing year is likely to end with a further suspension.
A mammoth glut of possession was wearing down the Reds, who were forgetting what the football looked like in the face of a clinical Crusaders onslaught.
The breakthrough came just a minute after Ioane's departure, when Kieran Read crashed over to take the score to 21-15.
Not content with trying to pull off a remarkable win with 14 men, the Reds upped the ante and were reduced to 13 when Lucas was marched for 10 minutes after foolishly sticking his hands in the ruck.
Sure enough, the Reds were destined for heartbreak yet again as Ali Williams crashed over in the 74th minute.
Carter's sideline kick was merely the dagger in an already failing heart that had beaten valiantly all night, before finally giving up the ghost as the Crusaders hit the front 22-21.
Not content with a sideline sniper bullet, Carter closed the lid on the coffin two minutes late when he dived over in the corner, ensuring the bonus point and cementing the Super 14 minor premiership.
CRUSADERS 27 (Kade Poki, Kieran Read, Ali Williams, Daniel Carter tries Stephen Brett pen, Daniel Carter 2 cons) bt QUEENSLAND REDS 21 (James Horwill, Peter Hynes, Quade Cooper tries Clinton Schifcofske 3 cons) at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. Referee: Mark Lawrence (RSA). Crowd: 21,768.
