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Blues 31 Reds 24
Blues - Papalii, Tuipulotu, Christie & Telea tries; Black 3 conversions & penalty
Reds - Wilson, Daugunu & Paenga-Amosa tries; Henry 3 conversions; Daugunu penalty
Second half
40th minute +1 - Reds still in possession, but still in their own 22. They knock on and Ruru finds touch to end the game.
The Blues win and stay unbeaten, but they miss out on a vital bonus point. Well done Reds.
40th minute - Reds can steal a draw with a converted try, but must go the length of the field.
39th minute - Reds win a turnover in midfield, but Telea smashes Stewart in a tackle that dislodges the ball.
Fraser reviews the tackle and penalised Telea for lifting past the horizontal. Daugunu will attempt a penalty to close within seven points and slots it beautifully, Blues 31-24
38th minute - Reds continue upfield, but Tupou is knocked into touch by Cowley-Tuioti.
Blues tap the lineout throw and tidy.
37th minute - Reds win one against the throw, but Sorovi has his kick charged down. Paesame threatens to bust up midfield.
36th minute - Laulala gets over the breakdown in centrefield and wins a penalty. Blues will kick to the corner again.
35th minute - Sotutu catches a long kick, but Hodgman spills a pass and the Reds clear.
34th minute - Blues kick to the corner for another attacking lineout. Pierce rises high and Ruru kicks behind the goal-line for Telea to chase, but Sorovi beats him to the touch.
Reds goal-line dropout.
33rd minute - Blues now need two more tries for a bonus point and build another attack. Sotutu makes a halfbreak and throws and extravagant backhanded pass. Wallace is pinged for offside.
30th minute - Try to Daugunu
From the scrum, Reds put on a big shove and have a penalty advantage. The ball comes to Stewart, who kicks towards the left wing, where Daugunu outleaps his markers to score.
Henry converts, Blues 31-21
29th minute - Eventually, Fraser brings them back for offside to the Blues. Reds want a scrum in front of the posts.
28th minute - Reds win the attacking lineout and build towards the posts. They have a penalty advantage.
27th minute - From the scrum, Stewart chips for his winger, but it goes into touch and Fraser brings them back for the collapsed scrum. Reds kick to the corner.
26th minute - From a scrum, Plummer takes on the defence, but loses the ball in a tackle.
25th minute - Sotutu replaces Akira Ioane and Tuipulotu is replaced by Pierce.
24th minute - Paesame fiels a high kick and charges into the Blues half, but Faiane crunches him in a tackle that knocks the ball free.
23rd minute - Blues don't contest that lineout and Paenga-Amosa makes 30m up midfield.
22nd minute - Ruru is on for Christie at halfback for the Blues. From his own half, Sullivan angles a kick touch on the Reds 22.
21st minute - Blues win a lineout on their own goal-line and Sullivan clears from deep inside his own-goal area.
Reds have a lineout inside the Blues 22, but the Blues win yet another one against the throw and Sullivan clears again.
20th minute - Eventually Stewart puts Wilson into a gap and the No.8 chips ahead for Vunivalu, but it dribbles into touch. Vunivalu pulls up lame and leaves the field, Black is replaced by Plummer for the Blues.
19th minute - Blues defence keeps the Reds around halfway - they can make no ground.
18th minute - Henry crosses halfway and Paenga-Amosa makes ground. Reds keep the ball in hand for several phases.
17th minute - Blues steal another lineout and clear their half.
16th minute - Blues are now threatening to bust this game open. Sullivan finds touch on halfway, but Reds throw quickly and Paesame makes ground.
Hodgman and Laulala are into the Blues front row, and the latter his penalised in midfield.
14th minute - Try to Christie
Ioane and Cowley-Tuioti go close, and when the ball comes back, the halfback lunges at the line to score. Black converts, Blues 31-14
13th minute - The dropout is trapped by Akira Ioane, who chages into the 22. Forward build phases towards the tryline and Tuipulotu gets close to his second.
12th minute - Heem kicks ahead behind the goal-line and Grealy forces for a goal-line dropout.
11th minute - Tupou spills a pass in his own half and Telea threatens down the left.
10th minute - Sullivan chips ahead and Vunivalu lets the ball bounce before controlling.
Ninth minute - Try to Paenga-Amosa
Wilson and Smith go close to scoring, and when the ball squirts out of the ruck, Paenga-Amosa dives to score.
Fraser reviews for potential knock-on, but onfield decision is a try. TMO rules the ball goes backwards and then forwards, try stands.
Henry converts, Blues 24-14
Eighth minute - Referee Fraser was playing advantage and the Reds elect to take a scrum beside the posts.
Sixth minute - McDermott breaks up the middle and Daugunu is just knocked off balance by Sullivan, with the line open.
Fourth minute - Try to Tuipulotu
Playing under advantage, the Blues send the ball right, where Telea chooses to take on the defence, instead of passing to Heem.
He's held up, but the forwards take over on the goal-line and Tuipulotu is driven over. Black converts, Blues 24-7
Third minute - Blues forwards are building phases towards the posts and the Reds are called offside.
Second minute - Blues steal their second straight lineout - it's like they knew the Reds calls - and Robinson barges upfield.
First minute - Henry kicks off deep for the Reds and Sullivan clears to the 10.
First half
40th minute +1 - Henry lines up a kick at goal from 40m out, but it squirts to the right and the teams run to the sheds for halftime.
40th minute - Blues have a scrum feed just outside their 22 and Ioane runs off theback, trampling McDermott. Tuungafasi spills the ball and the Reds win a penalty in midfield, when Akira Ioane doesn't roll away at the breakdown.
38th minute - Blues win a lineout, but as they try to build an attack, Ioane spills the ball and the Reds charge forward. The movement ends with a knock-on in centrefield.
37th minute - Blues defensive line is driving the Reds back and they eventually force a turnover that puts them on attack.
36th minute - Paenga-Amosa returns from the bin, but the Blues have scored two converted tries in his absence to seive control of the contest.
34th minute - Try to Telea
After several phases of forward play, Telea received the ball one off the breakdown and finds a yawning gap in the defence to gallop through untouched. Black converts, Blues 17-7
33rd minute - Stewart clears deep, but Sullivan and Heem combine again to make ground, and Robinson charges down the left touchline.
32nd minute - Reds have to bring on a hooker for the scrum and captain Wright heads to the sideline for Nasser. Winger Vunivalu packs on the side of the scrum.
31st minute - Cowley-Tuioti wins another attacking lineout 5m out, but the forwards can't clear the ball to Christie and Reds win a defensive scrum on their line.
29th minute - Blues recover the kickoff and Christie puts in a high kick to Reds half. Sullivan kicks across the field for Heem, but Vunivalu is pinged for obstruction in the previous contest and the Blues kick to the corner.
27th minute - Try to Papalii
Blues win another attacking lineout, they don't get the drive, but the forwards rumble towards the line over several phases. Eventually Papalii is driven over for the try.
Black converts, Blues 10-7
26th minute - Blues win another attacking lineout and Salakaia-Loto is penalised for collapsing another maul. He stays on the field, but the Reds are under pressure here.
25th minute - Tuipulotu wins the lineout and Blues maul towards the line. When the ball is released, the Reds are penalised for bringing the maul down.
Paenga-Amosa is yellow-carded and the Reds are down to 14 men for 10 minutes.
24th minute - Reds are penalised at the kickoff for attacking Heem in the air. Blues kick to the corner.
21st minute - Try to Wilson
Paisame spots a gap and puts the Reds back on attack. They're playing under advantage, but Wilson splits the defence on an angle and rumbles to the line to score the opening try.
Replays suggest the final pass was slightly forward, but it stands and Henry converts. Reds 7-3
20th minute - Reds win a lineout just inside the Blues half, but they're driven back. Akira Ioane is penalised and Reds kick deep to touch.
18th minute - McDermott clears to the 22, but Blues win a lineout and Akira Ioane mishandles.
Reds win a clearing penalty for offside.
17th minute - Christie breaks from the scrum and Sullivan bursts up centrefield, before Heem makes extra metres down the right. Eventually Sullivan is pushed into touch inside the 22.
14th minute - Reds break upfield through Paisame, but Tupou fumbles a pass and Blues counterattack. Fraser comes back for the knock-on.
13th minute - Grealy makes a half breakover halfway and Reds mount an attack.
12th minute - Black lines up a shot at goal and slots it for an early lead. Blues 3-0
11th minute - Akira Ioane and Tuipulotu charge up midfield towards the tryline, and Fraser awards a penalty under the posts. Stewart tackles with no arms.
10th minute - Blues win a relieving penalty at the breakdown and Black finds touch this time.
Ninth minute - Reds win an attacking lineout, but lose the ball in a tackle. Black kicks deep and Tupou charges upfield.
Eighth minute - Blues win a lineout and Faiane busts upfield, but the Reds turn the ball over and kick deep again.
Seventh minute - Akira Ioane is through quickly on the Reds and creates a turnover, but Grealy is safe under the high ball and Sulivan is forced to chase a cruelly bouncing kick.
Sixth minute - Poor touchfinder from Black and Grealy brings the ball back. Tuipulotu is pinged for a high tackle on McDermott, who was the victim of Damian McKenzie's shocker last week.
Fifth minute - Good scrum from the Blues and Papalii is over the breakdown to win a clearing penalty.
Fourth minute - Reds scrum on the Blues 22.
Third minute - Wilson makes a break for the Reds, but Reiko Ioane deflects a pass as he retreats and halts momentum.
Second minute - Blues have possession, but Tupou is over the breakdown and draws a clearing penalty.
First minute - Mike Fraser will referee tonight, as Sullivan kicks off for the Blues.
Reds clearing kick is charged down and they are immediately under pressure, but recover possession and clear their 22.
9:42pm - OK, more on that backline shuffle for the Reds, with Stewart actually playing at first-five and teenager Matt Grealy debuting at fullback.
9:32pm - Big news from the Reds camp is that Wallabies utility James O'Connor has picked up an injury and won't line up at first-five tonight - a big blow for Queensland.
This would have been his 100th Super Rugby outing, but Bryce Hegarty will now move to No.10 and Hamish Stewart introduced at fullback.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman match clash between the Blues and Reds in Brisbane.
The Queensland side - reigning Super Rugby AU champions - broke the Aussies' horrible losing run in the competition, with their victory over a short-handed Chiefs outfit last week, but still can't make the final, which will now be an all-NZ affair.
Mathematically, the Reds needed a bonus point from that win, then bonus-point results over the Blues and Hurricanes - the competition leaders - and other NZ teams to lose their remaining games. Without that bonus point, they fall from contention.
Still, the Reds reclaimed some pride for the Aussies and will at least take some momentum into this encounter with the red-hot Blues, who have won their three outings so far by an average of 34 points.
This is more like the Blues we expected to see during Super Rugby Aotearoa, when their form fell away right about the time captain Patrick Tuipulotu fell out of the line-up with a neck/shoulder injury.
While the margins of victory have been pretty comprehensive, the Blues have had to battle through the opening 40 minutes - their average halftime lead has been less than 10 points.
Tuipulotu is back in the starting line-up, but Hoskins Sotutu has been dropped back to the bench for this game, replaced at No.8 by fellow international Akira Ioane.
Blues: 1-Karl Tu'inukuafe, 2-Kurt Eklund, 3-Ofa Tuungafasi, 4-Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 5-Patrick Tuipulotu, 6-Tom Robinson, 7-Dalton Papalii, 8-Akira Ioane, 9-Finlay Christie, 10-Otere Black, 11-Mark Telea, 12-TJ Faiane, 13-Rieko Ioane, 14-Bryce Heem, 15-Zarn Sullivan
Reserves: 16-Soane Vikena, 17-Alex Hodgman, 18-Nepo Laulala, 19-Jacob Pierce, 20-Hoskins Sotutu, 21-Jonathan Ruru, 22-Harry Plummer, 23-AJ Lam
Reds: 1-Feao Fotuaika, 2-Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3-Taniela Tupou, 4-Ryan Smith, 5-Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 6-Angus Scott-Young, 7-Liam Wright, 8-Harry Wilson, 9-Tate McDermott, 10-James O’Connor, 11-Filipo Daugunu, 12-Isaac Henry, 13-Hunter Paisami, 14-Suliasi Vunivalu, 15-Hamish Stewart
Reserves: 16-Josh Nasser, 17-Dane Zander, 18-Zane Nonggorr, 19-Angus Blyth, 20-Sam Wallis, 21-Moses Sorovi, 22-Josh Flook, 23-Ilaisa Droasese
TAB odds: Blues $1.34, Reds $3.05
'Water bottles, laundry': McKenzie's red card punishment
Damian McKenzie's three-week Super Rugby Trans-Tasman ban won't mean any time off, as he's expected to carry out some of the basic chores for his Chiefs teammates, assistant coach David Hill jokes.
McKenzie, 26, was shown a straight red card in the Chiefs' 40-34 loss to the Reds in Townsville, resulting in the first New Zealand defeat of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.
The livewire playmaker has since been handed a three-week ban and will miss the remainder of the competition.
But despite McKenzie's disappointment, Hill says the Chiefs have been doing what they can to let their star make it up to his teammates.
"He was pretty upset after the game, he's slowly coming round," Hill says. "We're a pretty tight group and we give each other a little bit of stick.
"He's probably going to fill water bottles and do some laundry to make it up to us for the next day or two - until we kick him out and get rid of him.
"We've been giving Damo a bit of grief to be honest," teammate Mitchell Brown adds. "Rubbing it in a little bit, having a bit of fun."
But with McKenzie sidelined, the Chiefs will need to find a new first-five or fullback to replace the versatile playmaker for Sunday's clash against the Rebels.
"I think we're just lucky we've got good guys waiting in the wings, with Trasky [Kaleb Trask] and Gats [Bryn Gatland] and guys like that," Brown says.
"We've got Chase Tiatia and Shaun Stevenson, who are both pretty classy fullbacks as well," adds Hill.
"We've got some great options, [we're] very confident, and have faith and trust in the whole squad to do a job.
"We'll just crack on and find the best combination for the next couple of games."
McKenzie's ban will see him out of action until June 19 at the earliest, freeing him for the first All Blacks test of 2021, against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium on July 3.
