Blues get fighting win
2006-02-25 13:58
Brisbane - New Zealand's Blues climbed off the bottom of rugby's Super 14 with their first victory over the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Blues, who lost both their opening tournament matches in New Zealand, got home 21-20 on the back of two penalty goals from fullback Isa Nacewa after the Reds edged in front eight minutes from full-time.
The victory broke a run of five defeats for the one-time Super 12 powerhorses following on from their three losses at the back-end of last season.
The match had a fast and furious opening with three tries in the first seven minutes as the Blues exploded to a 12-5 lead following tries to centre Rua Tipoki and All Blacks winger Doug Howlett.
The Reds' Wallaby fullback Chris Latham dropped a howler under a high kick and Tipoki surged on to the loose ball to sprint away for a try inside two minutes.
Latham, determined to make up for his gaffe, was involved in the Reds' swift retaliation making a break on the right wing before fly-half Berrick Barnes swivelled his way past three defenders to score in the fifth minute.
Flying tackle
Howlett just dotted down before being taken over the corner post by Latham's flying tackle in the seventh minute that went to the video referee for adjudication.
But there were no further tries for the remaining 83 minutes as both sides relied on their kickers in a combative match dominated by forward exchanges.
Fly-half Tasesa Lavea only landed a conversion and a penalty goal from five attempts and needed Nacewa to chip in with his two late penalties to settle the issue for the Aucklanders.
Wallaby midfielder Elton Flatley landed four penalties from seven shots and Latham landed a drop goal just before halftime for the Reds to trail 15-14 at the interval.
The Reds came away with a losing bonus point but have lost all their three opening matches at home against strong title contenders Waratahs and Crusaders before dropping a level to go down to the Blues.
It was the Queenslanders fifth successive loss in Super rugby following their two defeats at the end of last season.