Reds beat the Blues
Queensland Reds' fairytale Super Rugby season continued as they stormed to a 30-13 semi-final win over Blues.
Last Updated: 02/07/11 2:09pm
Queensland Reds' fairytale Super Rugby season continued as they earned an impressive 30-13 semi-final win over Auckland Blues.
Jet-heeled winger Rod Davies grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Reds reached their first final of the professional era with victory at the Sundown Stadium in Brisbane.
Davies scored his first with a 70-metre dash after a brilliant interception in the 12th minute.
He then completed the hat-trick after two more searing runs in a 10-minute burst after the break, to send a baying 45,000 home crowd into ecstasy.
The Blues were kept scoreless for 40 minutes before lock Chris Lowrey notched their only try.
However, they shot themselves in the foot with handling errors and were powerless to stop the surging red tide led by marauding Australian fly-half Quade Cooper, who also booted ten points.
The Reds, who topped the table in the regular season, won the right to host Canterbury Crusaders or Stormers, who will meet in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
Dazzling
Cooper, expected to star for the Wallabies in this year's World Cup in New Zealand, often bamboozled the Auckland defence with his sleight of hand and dazzling footwork to put the Reds on the attack - particularly in the opening half.
However, the home side did break the deadlock against the run of play when Davies intercepted in the 12th minute before sprinting 70 metres to score.
Cooper then produced some attacking magic off a return kick and sent centre Ben Tapuai over in the 30th minute.
A Cooper penalty pushed the Reds to a 15-0 lead but the Blues scored right on half time when Lowrey speared through a big gap.
Luke McAlister nudged Auckland to 15-10 with a penalty goal in the 46th minute but Davies claimed his second try off a Cooper pass seconds later.
He wrapped up the contest with his third try on 56 minutes after a failed chip kick from Jared Payne gave possession to Queensland deep in Auckland territory.
Payne botched Auckland's last chance when he knocked on with the try-line beckoning in the 70th minute and Reds' replacement forward Adam Wallace-Harrison had a try disallowed by the video referee when he lost the ball over the line.
But Cooper put the icing on the cake for a triumphant Queensland with a 74th minute drop goal.
