The Queensland Reds faced a challenging situation as the Super Rugby Pacific qualifying finals were determined last Saturday. Following the Hurricanes’ significant victory over Moana Pasifika, Queensland’s final match against the Fijian Drua became insignificant for their ladder positioning. Consequently, the Reds will end the regular season in fifth place and have only six days to prepare for a playoff match against the second-ranked Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday night.
The Crusaders enjoyed an additional recovery day after a tight win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra. The top-ranked Chiefs will host the defending champions, the Blues, who secured the final playoff spot by delivering a record defeat to the NSW Waratahs in Auckland. On the same day, the third-placed Brumbies are set to clash with the fourth-placed Hurricanes in Canberra for the last qualifying final.
To advance to the semi-finals, the three winning teams from the qualifying finals will compete alongside the highest-ranking losing team. Historically, the Brumbies have performed well against the Hurricanes at home, although they did suffer a loss to them at GIO Stadium this season.
Since the Waratahs’ victory in 2014, no Australian team has claimed the Super Rugby title. Earlier this season, the Reds experienced a heavy defeat to the Crusaders at Apollo Projects Stadium. However, they can draw confidence from a recent dominant performance against the Drua, winning 52-7, which saw winger Lachie Anderson achieve a remarkable feat by scoring four first-half tries—marking the first instance of a Queensland player achieving this in the Super Rugby era.
Anderson expressed the satisfaction of executing planned moves from training successfully during the match. Concerns arise for the Reds as head coach Les Kiss monitors injuries to key players Harry Wilson, Tim Ryan, and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, with particular worry regarding McLaughlin-Phillips after a head injury assessment.
Kiss acknowledged the formidable challenge ahead in facing the Crusaders, especially given their strong at-home performance, despite the absence of speedy player Will Jordan. He emphasized the need for solid recovery and effective injury management in the lead-up to the playoffs, optimistic about leveraging team depth if necessary.
Upcoming fixtures for the Super Rugby Pacific qualifying finals are as follows:
– Crusaders (2) vs Queensland Reds (5) on Friday, June 6, at 5:05 PM AEST
– Chiefs (1) vs Blues (6) on Saturday, June 7, at 5:05 PM AEST
– ACT Brumbies (3) vs Hurricanes (4) on Saturday, June 7, at 7:35 PM AEST.