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International Men's Rugby
2025
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RED vs WAL
International Men's Rugby
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Reds
vs
Wales
35
FT
36
Action
Lineups
All
Facts Only
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Full-Time: 35 - 36
Even though they struggled to take advantage of all their territory and possession in that first half, this was a huge performance from the Reds. No, they weren't playing against a full-strength Wales side, but they are also themselves without numerous key players given the internationals are all off with the Wallabies at the moment. An exciting spectacle of rugby, and both sides really gave it their all in this clash! The Reds take on Tonga next weekend in another huge clash for the local side, while the season is now over for Wales. They will be back at the start of the northern hemisphere season in November when they take on Fiji, Australia, and South Africa.
The Reds probably didn't use their opportunities as well as they should have, especially in the first half. They had Wales under enormous pressure, with the visitors coughing up penalty after penalty on defence down in their own half. But even so, it still took the Reds 3 or 4 shots at it to actually get themselves over the line. They needed to use that period where they had so much momentum to put a bit more scoreboard pressure on Wales to pin them down a bit more. They also should have taken great advantage of the yellow card to Lloyd, but were only able to put one try on the board during that period.
Wales played a beautifully expansive game, bringing wingers Grace and Dyer into play and forcing the Reds to spread the defence thinner to try and close out the wide channels. The Reds did look a bit out of sorts having to spread the defence so wide, with the Welsh side managing to make great metres to get into the right areas of the pitch down the two touchlines.
It was a physical match, with the scrums in the first half quite the contest. They devolved somewhat in the second half, with Murphy having to reset quite a few scrums once the replacements started making their way onto the pitch. The rolling mauls, however, were a sight to behold from start to finish. The Reds' first three tries all came off the back of rolling mauls, while Wales also scored one off the maul through Christ Tshiunza in the final try of the first half. Tries off mauls notwithstanding, there were quite a few other mauls in the game that also put huge pressure on the defence as both sides used the tactic to get good go forward ball to their backline.
Wales extended their lead after the break with another try shortly after the second half got underway, but it looked after that as if Wales had run out of steam. The home side scored three converted tries over the next 20 minutes to claw back that Welsh lead, and with the final one took the lead as well with less than 10 minutes on the clock. That seemed to be the kick in the backside Wales needed, and they threw everything and the kitchen sink at the Reds in the last 10 minutes until they were finally able to get over the chalk, taking the lead and ultimately winning the game by a single point thanks to their last-gasp try.
What. A. Match! Truly epic moments in the final minutes here in Brisbane, with Wales twice racking up huge phase numbers as they fought for the final try that would put them back into the lead. There was a bit of see-sawing in terms of the lead throughout the match, with Wales striking first and very early on to open the scoring. The Reds took the lead 10 minutes later when they were able to add the conversion, but three more Welsh tries to the Reds one before the break gave the visitors a good lead going into the break.
80+2'
Tapped and sent into the stands for the final whistle!
80+1'
Short restart is well chased and tapped back by the Reds! They drive up in the midfield before Bryant switches back to the right. No go out there. Back infield to Campbell who pops it to Smith to drive up, but he gets isolated in contact and pinged for holding on! Wales will win it!
80'
Costelow pushes the conversion just wide from out on the left touchline.