Reds beat Drua after Mataele hat-trick scare
Filipo Daugunu was one of the try scorer for Reds
©Steve Haag
Queensland Reds 45-23 Fijian Drua, Brisbane
The Queensland Reds finished their regular season with a bonus-point 45-24 win over Fijian Drua at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Queensland led 21-5 late in the first half before Manasa Mataele’s brilliant hat-trick dragged the Drua back into the contest and briefly put the visitors in front early in the second half.
The Reds eventually regained control through their set piece, with their scrum and line-out pressure turning the match decisively.
Mataele Strikes First For Drua
The Drua opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Mataele intercepted a Carter Gordon pass and raced around 60 metres to score. The Reds responded in the 25th minute through hooker Matt Faessler, who crossed after a strong rolling maul.
Queensland then hit their stride. Josh Flook produced a sharp pass while falling to the ground to send Filipo Daugunu over in the 30th minute. Four minutes later, Daugunu turned provider, setting up Flook as the Reds stretched their lead to 21-5.
The Drua hit back on the stroke of half-time with a touchdown from Meli Tuni to keep themselves alive, cutting Queensland’s lead before the break.
Mataele Hat-Trick Shocks Reds
Mataele took over early in the second half. He collected his own kick ahead to score his second try, then completed his hat-trick in the 48th minute after Virimi Vakatawa’s kick bounced kindly, allowing him to gather and race clear.
His third try gave the Drua a surprise lead and left the Reds under pressure after appearing to have the match under control.
Set Piece Powers Queensland Home
Queensland answered through their forwards. Captain Harry Wilson scored in the 55th minute from a dominant scrum, before another powerful line-out maul helped Faessler cross for his second try in the 59th minute.
From there, the Reds pulled away. Seru Uru and Richie Asiata also scored as Queensland secured both the win and the bonus point.
The result lifted the Reds to an 8-6 regular-season record, although their hopes of finishing fourth had already ended after the Crusaders’ win over the Hurricanes earlier in the night.
