Reds edge Brumbies to stay in Super 15 hunt

CANBERRA (AFP) –

Queensland Reds scrum-half Will Genia passes the ball during a Super 15 match against the Western Stormers in April 2012. Genia said his team was “very fortunate” after they kept alive their Super 15 playoff hopes with a fighting 13-12 win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.

Defending champions Queensland Reds kept alive their Super 15 playoff hopes with a fighting 13-12 win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday.

Brumbies flyhalf Zack Holmes had a penalty kick right on fulltime to pinch victory for the Australian Conference leaders, but his 38-metre attempt went wide for the Reds to claim victory.

The Reds moved to within five points of the Brumbies in the Australian Conference, while the Canberra-based side claimed a losing bonus point to stay in charge of their league with four matches left to the top-six playoffs.

“We were very fortunate at the end, we gave away a penalty and the young kid (Holmes) missed, so we’ll take it any way we can,” Reds’ Wallaby scrum-half Will Genia said.

“We had to win it and we spoke about coming out with plenty of energy and enthusiasm and we did that, so I’m very proud of the effort.”

Fullback Luke Morahan scored the only try of a fiercely fought Australian derby in the third minute with the remainder of the drab match decided by goalkicking.

Mike Harris kicked a conversion and two penalties for the Reds, while Holmes landed four penalties, but not his fifth and last attempt, which would have sealed victory.

Morahan enhanced his chances of selection as a Wallaby fullback with his dashing try after fielding a high kick deep in his own half and launching a counter-attack and scoring off his own kick ahead.

The Reds may have paid a price with their skipper James Horwill limping off with an injured right hamstring, putting him in doubt for the Wallabies’ Tests next month against Scotland and Wales.

Queensland will have next weekend off with a bye while the Brumbies are away to the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.

The Brumbies, who have been a revelation under the coaching of South African Jake White this season, gave themselves a hope of stealing the points with Holmes’s last-ditch penalty kick after Saia Faingaa was penalised in a maul.

“I was really happy with the way we stuck at it,” Brumbies captain Ben Mowen said, refusing to blame Holmes.

“We had a scrum five metres out from our try-line and we described how we would get up the field and give ourselves a chance to win it, and we did that, but it was a difficult kick.

“Sometimes they go your way and sometimes they don’t.”

Quade Cooper completed a full 80 minutes for the Reds for the first time this season, giving himself a chance of being selected in an extended Wallabies’ squad for the June Tests after recovering from his serious knee injury at last year’s World Cup.