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Tim Ryan

Rugby

Queensland Reds hit nearly 60 to deny the Western Force’s hopes of making the Top 8 with the big win tonight at Suncorp Stadium

by Sports Benches

Queensland Reds fans just enjoyed another brilliant night on home turf tonight at Suncorp Stadium having been well secure to play Finals this year outside the Top 4 in 5th following an easy win v Western Force 59-13. From the start, the Force had some glimpses with a couple of penalty goals to chip it in even though an attempted TRY at the stroke of half-time was unfortunately denied by the TMO referee due to a knock-on as the Reds collected a couple of big points along the way 22-6.

Then nothing much changed later on where the Reds continue to extend their lead including the completion of another good hat-trick story from Tim Ryan while Fraser McReight scored back-to-back tries in quick succession. Force might be the the last to close out the game with the one and only consolation seven-point TRY whose heavy loss tonight puts them in a difficult position to try and just make the Top 8 when they will fly back home to face the Brumbies next Saturday night but the winner goes the Reds way ahead of the regular season finale meeting on Friday v Waratahs at Allianz Stadium in Sydney following their loss last week that isn’t easy for away teams to play in Fiji v the Fijian Drua. We still got one more game to go to finish off Week 14 of 15 with the rare tomorrow match in Dunedin between the Highlanders v Drua, then the 6th-8th places will remain open for one last time other than the Top 5 teams that are well and truly confirmed up the ladder before it’s Finals time.

Tim “The Junkyard Dog” Ryan loves scoring tries for fun having became an instant favourite amongst the fans for the Reds this year on the right wing following his hat-trick performance tonight. He is someone who has blistering pace who can do anything dangerous with the ball on hand as long as he’s got his numbers there to set up towards the finish line for him and what a talent Queensland has got in their talent production line at Ballymore!! Then we look at another of the Reds’ finest home-grown talented players in none other than Fraser McReight on the openside back row at 7 where he made such a huge difference such as nailing down defensively while being able to score some tries too. This is the man who is also well established in the Wallabies squad as he will look to make the No.7 green and gold shirt of his own in the years to come in place of veteran Michael Hooper but for now, he’s here to help Reds win games every week & with previous finals experience on his belt, he believes that his side can achieve even more beyond the last eight like the ACT Brumbies do all the time.

And versatile back Bayley Kuenzle is the jack of the all trades after he finished the Force’s difficult night on a high not long before full-time with a late TRY and also a conversion kick too. He’s happy to get as much game time as he needs having been in Perth for three years now after he grew up in Sydney and then played for the Brumbies that reflects his important skillsets at Super Rugby level, so he can learn to improve in order to get better and better with the likes of Nic White and soon Darcy Swain from next year again would help him achieve his next personal best. For now, there’s still a long way to go where the Force despite some promising signs earlier on haven’t been good defensively while picking up ill-discipline for the most part.

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Rugby

Queensland Reds shut down the Crusaders with a huge 28-33 win in Christchurch for the first time that goes back to Round 5 in 1999

by Sports Benches

So there we have it, it’s great seeing a Australian Super Rugby team taking the win on New Zealand’s turf and it’s the Reds who won v the Crusaders in Christchurch for the first time in 25 years that goes back to Round 5 in 1999 at the old Jade Stadium 23-36. The first half saw the Reds off to a flying start where they were leading 7-14 at half-time despite the one late Crudsaders TRY, with back-to-back tries from Fraser McReight & Tim Ryan. 

Then the 2nd half was a high scoring one as the Saders cancelled Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen’s early 2nd half TRY where they were level on points 21-21 after two quick tries in quick succession. But a series of late 2nd half sloppy mistakes went the Reds way which proved so costly, even though a late comeback wasn’t enough to nail them down as the clock ticks down to full-time. Although the Crusaders do take home the one bonus point, but again, this game has to be the Reds moment who has now beaten both 2023 finalist in the Chiefs and now Crusaders as they leapfrogged the Melbourne Rebels (coincidentally will be their next game) to 5th on the ladder with four rounds to go. Final score was 28-33.

Gotta say that Reds Number 8 Harry Wilson is sending the message to Joe Schmidt (new Wallabies coach) as to why he has unfinished business after his terrific performance v Crusaders on their turf in Christchurch. He wouldn’t mind bulldozing defenders one bit with the ball on hand as being tested at scrum & line-out time and it seems like he’s better at 1 v 1s as if he’s an individual athlete with a really tall stature, having deflected David Havili’s kick at his danger zone that went his way for the Reds try himself to stop the Saders from stealing the lead. 

Meanwhile, look out NZers as “The Junkyard Dog” Tim Ryan made such an instant impact from the minute he made his Super Rugby debut for the Reds last week at age 20 v Blues. He continues to cause problems like a sprint track athlete where no one couldn’t stop him this time with two tries against the Crusaders. He’s also a bit over 6ft tall similar to Max Jorgensen at the Waratahs as both can play anywhere in the backline – they’d even be a dangerous combo in the hope Joe can fast track Tim in the green & gold shirt like Max sooner rather than later. Great to see the Reds continue on the winning track in recent weeks (3-in-row now) following their big moment for the first time in 25 years in Christchurch with plenty of optimism ahead & they will be playing Melbourne Rebels next up at Suncorp Stadium (home turf) on Friday. 

And Quinten Strange has been breaking the Reds down in order for his Crusaders to find their way through the gate on the second row at No.5. He credits these winning penalties so he can get his head down with a mix of strong steel and really towering eye that puts them back in contention during the 2nd 40 including one for himself to tie the lead. Yes, they were unlucky to fall short as they can still just make the Top 8 with four rounds left, but a poor start including a number of errors later on saw the Reds win instead.

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