The Melbourne Rebels savoured one of the biggest boilovers in Super Rugby history this weekend and the Queensland Reds produced one of the best comebacks to dent the pride of New Zealand.
The Rebels’ celebrations from upsetting the seven-time champion Crusaders 28-19 in Melbourne had hardly finished before the Reds put the cleaners through the front-running Chiefs 42-27 on Sunday afternoon.
Both struck mighty blows for the maligned Australian conference while the despairing NSW Waratahs and Western Force again had to lick their wounds after a forgettable round 12.
The Waratahs’ galling last-minute 27-24 loss to the Bulls on Friday night leaves them 12 points behind the Brumbies (39) on the local conference and needing a minor miracle to make the play-offs with six rounds to go.
The Rebels (24) still mathematically remain alive after enjoying the biggest and best win of their short history on Saturday night.
While halves Kurtley Beale and Nick Phipps starred in a fine attacking display, the fledgling franchise’s previously-weak defence muscled up to keep the Cantabrians scoreless in the second half for the first time in three years.
In just his second appearance of the season, veteran centre Stirling Mortlock came off the bench to once again break Kiwi hearts.
Like the Wallabies’ memorable 2003 World Cup semi-final against the All Blacks, club captain Mortlock produced the match-defining intercept to get his side home.
Even though his 34-year-old legs couldn’t carry him all the way, having to off-load to influential winger Cooper Vuna, he was there for the back up and a rapturous swan dive out wide to finish.
“It was a rickety old cart trying to get the wheels rolling,” Mortlock laughed.
“In hindsight I probably should have brought it around to the sticks but I think the emotion just overtook me and I couldn’t help myself.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a meat pie so I added a bit of ham to it.”
Like NSW, the Reds’ season appeared on life support just before halftime of their Mother’s Day clash, down 8-25, before producing a four-try blitz in 12 match-turning minutes.
It was easily the defending champions’ best performance of the season as they broke the rot with a first attacking bonus point for their five tries.
The joy of Queensland fans was amplified with off-contract playmaker Quade Cooper, who is attracting offers overseas and interstate, admitting he would find it hard to leave Ballymore next year.
The Force’s woeful season hit a new low with an embarrassing 53-11 belting by the Sharks in Durban to leave them third last in the competition and six points behind the Rebels.
The Sharks’ victory, and the Highlanders’ 26-20 loss to fellow Kiwi side the Hurricanes, put three South African teams in the top six, headed by the Bulls (46) and Stormers (45), who downed the Cheetahs 16-14.
The Brumbies enjoyed the bye and also called in Japan-based former Waratahs utility back Peter Hewat to help solve their five-eighth crisis.
At the foot of the table, the Blues leapfrogged the Lions (14) with a 25-3 win in Auckland.
