Queensland’s brave run at the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens has ended in a semi-final defeat to the rampant Blues.
The last remaining Australian team left in the tournament, the Reds rocketed to a 5-0 lead in the first minute courtesy of a 75m intercept try from Jayden Ngamanu.
But the Blues hit back with three unanswered tries through Sam Nock, Jordan Olsen and Kurt Eklund to win 22-10.
“We wanted to go all the way but unfortunately it wasn’t our day today,” Reds star Samu Kerevi said.
“The growth in the young boys (impressed me) … our squad was really young and a lot of them put their hand up. I’m really proud.”
Like last year, it will be another all-New Zealand final after the Hurricanes beat the Crusaders 14-10 in the other semi.
However there was some consolation for Australian rugby – the ending of a 12-month long trans-Tasman losing streak.
It might have only been a novelty pre-season event but Queensland’s 19-7 quarter-final win over the Chiefs was the first by an Australian side against a New Zealand franchise since the opening match of last year’s tens tournament.
Australia’s five teams failed to record one win in 21 Super Rugby games against Kiwi teams last season.
The Chiefs however will rightly feel hard done by, with both of Angus Blyth’s two tries – which saw the Reds draw level and then take the lead – hugely contentious.
Video footage was inconclusive for Blyth’s first, with the 19-year-old lock appearing to drop the ball in the middle of a mess of bodies next to the right corner post.
But his second clearly should not have been allowed as his foot touched the sideline while he was tackled as he closed in to score.
It mattered little for the long-suffering locals, who were pinching themselves as a scintillating step from Jayden Ngamanu left Solomon Alaimalo in his wake before he dished off to Izaia Perese to add the icing on the cake.
It was Perese’s third try of the day following his double in Queensland’s 38-7 thumping of the Panasonic Wild Knights earlier on Saturday, catapulting them into the play-off reckoning.
The promising 20-year-old earned some rich praise from former Reds and Wallabies winger Digby Ioane.
“He’s a strong little fella. He’s got heart, that’s all that matters,” Ioane said.
The Melbourne Rebels and ACT Brumbies were both knocked out in the pool stage while the NSW Waratahs reached the quarters but fell 35-24 to the Hurricanes.
