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Wooden spooners last season and finishing in the bottom three since 2004, the Queensland Reds are hardly a team to strike fear in he hearts of their Super 14 opponents. But on Friday evening the Reds had some good fortune and a tough if unconvincing win.
“We'll take the first win and go one from that”, said a relieved captain John Roe. Hopefully they will go to a place where a winning formula is easier to nourish. Remembering back to last season, the Reds had a similarly close run victory in their season opener against another Kiwi side, the Hurricanes. What followed was a season all involved would love to forget. Only one more win was had, against another bottom dweller in the Cheetahs. The highlight of that match was seeing Ben Tune, in the twilight of his career, intercept a wayward Cheetah's pass and run 70-metres for a try. Tune had later said it felt like running 300-metres. The Red's will certainly have a similar feeling after Friday night's win. Elation at the win, but thinking that it felt a great deal more difficult than it should have, even with the referee seemingly their side. On a more positive note "miracle-man" Latham provided the necessary spirit and hardiness to drive the team home in the dying stages of the game. Latham sustained a heavy knock from a high shot in the first half but regained enough equilibrium to return to finish out the match. Some journalists have likened Latham's effort to that of Lazarus. That would imply that resuscitation had been given up on. Even with all the disappointments of the past few seasons, I would like to believe that this isn't about to happen. If Queensland are going to be contenders this season, they need to build greatly on this performance. Going into the next round against against the Hurricanes, who a reeling after a 20-3 defeat from the Waratah's, the Red's players would do well to look to Latham's example on how to play rugby. |
