Darkest days for Reds Struggling team lose match and several key players
TOGETHER, Quade Cooper, Will Genia and James Horwill were once the holy trinity of Reds rugby.
They are now the fallen champions’ greatest concerns after a disastrous 24 hours for Queensland’s Super Rugby battlers.
Just hours after confirmation of Genia’s post-World Cup move to Stade Francais, Cooper was again floored by injury and Horwill sent off in the Reds’ 23-15 collapse against the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park.
Less than 100 minutes after his return from a broken collarbone, Cooper was again receiving medical treatment to his shoulder after an attempted tackle on Rebels prop Toby Smith.
The second-half loss of their creative whiz was the final blow on a night that started with some promise before the Queenslanders were overwhelmed by a more disciplined Rebels side.
The Reds were reduced to 14 men for 60 minutes after Horwill’s undisciplined swinging arm thudded into the head of Melbourne bullock Paul Alo-Emile.
His recklessness could cost the former Test captain some involvement in the side’s twomatch South African road trip against the Bulls and Cheetahs.
That the score was 15-15 with 15 minutes left was a credit to the non-stop involvement of Reds flanker Liam Gill, and the wayward goalkicking of Melbourne’s former Red Mike Harris.
But they could not hold on forever, undermanned against the home side.
The Reds arrived in Melbourne just one rung from the bottom of the ladder.
Tries to Horwill and No.8 Jake Schatz helped them scamper to a 12-3 lead after just 13 minutes.
The method of those tries would perhaps have been more pleasing to coach Richard Graham than the scoreline.
On each occasion the points were a reward for an extended siege inside Rebels territory.
All of which made Horwill’s brain snap even more frustrating for a side which was finally stringing together phases of fluent ball movement – Schatz’s try backing up a rampaging Liam Gill was the perfect illustration of team rugby.
Still, there were communication problems inside left winger Chris Feauai-Sautia where Rebels playmaker Harris aimed repeated attacks.
Harris and half-back Nick Stirzaker consistently targeted that wide channel, where Queensland struggled to organise their numbers.