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Reds 26 Blues 45
Reds - Flook, Fa'agase, Wilson & Campbell tries; Creighton 3 conversions
Blues - Sullivan, Barrett, Tuipulotu, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Telea & Funaki tries; Barrett penalty & 2 conversions, Plummer 4 conversions
Fulltime
40th minute - TRY to Funaki
Sullivan kicks off and Reds keep the ball in hand. Lynagh throws a long pass to Vunivalu, as they try to run out of their 22, but Campbell drops the ball cold and the replacement halfback pounces to score.
Plummer converts, BLU 45-26
There's still time for a kickoff and Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens kicks ahead, but Lynagh has it covered and forces to end the contest.
38th minute - TRY to Campbell
Reds take a quick lineout and shift right, where the fullback dives over in the corner. Creighton converts from the sideline, BLU 38-26
37th minute - From the defensive scrum, RTS charges off his goal-line and Plummer eventually kicks from his deadball area.
36th minute - Reds win an attacking lineout, but their maul goes nowhere. Blues have the turnover.
35th minute - From the kickoff, Reds have the ball back and enter the BLues half. Lynagh kicks ahead, Sullivan has it covered, but Way is playing advantage for offside against the Blues.
33rd minute - TRY to Telea
After a kicking exchange, BLues have the ball and Heem puts Telea away for a quick response to the Reds try. Plummer converts, BLU 38-19
31st minute - TRY to Wilson
After several phases, the powerful loose forward cannot be denied by the shorthanded defence. Creighton slices his conversion right, BLU 31-19
30th minute - YELLOW CARD to Tucker
Under advantage, Lynagh kicks across the field for Creighton, but Sullivan has it covered, so Way brings them back for the penalty and dispatches the Blues lock for 10 minutes.
29th minute - Reds forwards keep the ball in hand and have penalty advantage. McDermott goes close and another penalty avantage.
28th minute - Lynagh finds touch in the corner and Reds win the attacking lineout. McDermott finds Wilson rumbling towards the posts.
27th minute - Sullivan finds touch inside Reds half. Reds win the lineout and a penalty advantage.
24th minute - Blues knock on the kickoff, but Creighton also spills the ball, so Reds go back for the scrum.
21st minute - TRY to Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
Tuipulotu wins a lineout inside the Reds 22. After a couple of phases among the forwards, the BLues shift right, where Sullivan injects himself into the backline to create space for the winger out wide.
Plummer slots his conversion from near touch, BLU 31-14
20th minute - Telea takes the ball into tackle and Blues win a penalty at the breakdown near halfway.
19th minute - From the scrum, Sullivan and Campbell exchange kicks, before Syullivan breaks over halfway. Heems floats a pass to Telea.
17th minute - Blues steal the lineout and try to run out of their 22, but a loose pass persuades Sullivan to put his boot to ball. Blues catch Lynagh and hold him up for a maul turnover.
16th minute - Eventually, the Reds get a penalty and Creighton finds touch inside the 22, before he's replaced by Lynagh.
15th minute - A succession of scrums in midfield has stalled the game, with replacements struggling to find their pace.
12th minute - Reds win a lineout on halfway and Flook enters Blues territory. BLues steal the ball, but Reds have a turnover.
11th minute - Ioane breaks down the left touchline and brushes off McDermott. Plummer kicks for Heem, but the ball bounces into touch on the right.
10th minute - Tuivasa-Sheck carries hard out of his 22 and the BLues make progress towards halfway. Plummer kicks high towards Telea, but Vunivalu has it covered.
Ninth minute - Blues control the kickoff, but their clearing kick is out on the full.
Reds win the lineout, but Wilson is knocked down in centrefield.
Seventh minute - TRY to Tuipulotu
From the scrum, Plummer is almost through, but he presents the ball for his forwards and the acting skipper crosses for a try. Plummer converts from in front, BLU 24-14
Sixth minute - Barrett needs some attention and has removed his boot, where there's blood on his sock. He leaves the field, Tuivasa-Sheck comes on and Plummer moves to first-five.
Fifth minute - Reds building phases metres from the tryline, but they lose the ball and Telea breaks over halfway. He kicks ahead for Barrett, but the bounce eludes him.
Reds take it over the goal-line, so Blues' five-metre scrum.
Fourth minute - Reds win a long lineout throw and the forwards pour into the maul. They release to Daugunu.
Third minute - Reds win a penalty just over halfway and Creighton finds touch near the corner.
Second minute - Lam seemed to turn his ankle contesting the kickoff and is helped off. Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens replaces him.
First minute - Barrett kicks off and Reds claim the ball. Creighton kicks down centrefield, but Lam is still down on the other side of the field. Way eventually halts play.
Halftime
40th minute - TRY to Fa'agase
Reds win this lineout and maul towards the line. Uru lunges, before the prop is driven over. Creighton converts, as the halftime siren sounds, BLU 17-14
39th minute - Reds can't control a hard, long throw and Choat comes away with the ball, but he's penalised and Reds will have another chance close to the line.
38th minute - Reds win a penalty just inside the Blues half, when Telea can't recyle the ball in a tackle. They have an attacking lineout just metres from the tryline.
37th minute - Barrett tries for a 50-22, but Daugunu cuts off the kick. Sullivan finds touch, but the Reds take a quick throw-in.
36th minute - Uru runs off the back of the scrum, but the clearing kick doesn't find touch and Blues can attack again.
35th minute - Brad Thorne makes a couple of front-row changes just before halftime.
34th minute - Blues shift right, where Heem finds Telea with a no-look pass, but the Reds control the maul for a turnover.
34th minute - Barrett finds touch on the Reds 22. Sufoa wins the lineout and the BLues forwards pour into the 22.
33rd minute - Reds cross halfway, but are penalised for a cleanout.
32nd minute - Barrett kicks hight over halfway and Campbell leaps to claim the ball.
30th minute - BLues eventually secure the kickoff and have a knockon advantage.
28th minute - TRY to Barrett
Blues have penalty advantage on the 22, but they shift right, where Telea makes the initial thrust and finds his first-five looming inside. Barrett slots the conversion, BLU 17-7
27th minute - Reds kick off from their goal-line and Sotutu charges back towards the 22. Blues shift right, then left, where Lam and Ioane combine.
26th minute - Lam chases the kickoff and outjumps Vunivalu. BLues have a penalty and it's taken quickly, but Sotutu is held up over the tryline.
24th minute - TRY to Flook
Reds win a lineout in the BLues 22. Their maul is initially held up, but the ball emerges and Flook juggles, before scoring.
Creighton converts, BLU 10-7
23rd minute - Campbell chips ahead for Daugunu and Way brings them back for the penalty.
22nd minute - Blues secure the kickoff and Barrett kicks downfield from his 22. Reds have penalty advantage near halfway.
20th minute - TRY to Sullivan
Blues secure the kickoff and Barrett takes on the defensive line. Heems carries on the move, Barrett puts Suafoa through a gap and the fullback looms outside to score.
Barrett chips his angled conversion through, BLU 10-0
18th minute - PENALTY to Barrett
Barrett stayed down after that last tackle and may have copped a head knock, but he slots his kick at goal to open the scoring and relieve any doubts about his state of mind, BLU 3-0
17th minute - Blues win a lineout and kick beyond halfway for another attacking lineout. They run a midfield move among the backs and have penalty advantage.
16th minute - Blues win a scrum penalty near their own goal-line - the third scrum to be penalised so far.
14th minute - Creighton finds touch near the Blues 22 and Reds win the lineout. They shift left, where Daugunu beats Telea, but he loses the ball in the tackle.
13th minute - Reds win a scrum penalty near halfway.
12th minute - From the scrum, BLues shift left and cross halfway, but Lam loses the ball in a tackle.
11th minute - Heem is penalised for a tip-tackle on Flook, which looked bad, but no card. Reds win an attacking lineout, but the Blues sack the maul to win the ball back.
10th minute - McDermott puts up a high kick and Barrett spills it. Reds pounce and Daugunu threatens down the left. Reds have penalty advantage and Creighton kicks across the field to Vunivalu, who can't grab the ball above Barrett.
Ninth minute - Reds win a short lineout throw near halfway.
Eighth minute - Blues win the lineout, Suafoa and Sotutu rumble towards the tryline, but the passing is not crisp and they lose ground. McReight gets over the ruck to win a penalty.
Seventh minute - Barrett kicks to touch inside the Reds 22.
Sixth minute - Blues boss the scrum and Telea crosses halfway. Sullivan runs into his own man, but Way is playing penalty advantage.
Fifth minute - Reds win the lineout and have an attacking opportunity in Blues half. Campbell beats a man, but the Reds knock on.
Fourth minute - Reds win a scrum penalty on their 22 and Campbell kicks long to Barrett at fullback. The Blues quickly break to halfway, but Plummer's tactical kick is out on the full.
Third minute - Blues enter the 22, with Plummer and Telea combining in midfield, but Ioane's pass to Sotutu drifting astray.
Second minute - Blues win the lineout and take the ball into centrefield. AJ Lam crosses halfway, Reds knock on, but Blues shift right.
First minute - After a traditional indigenous greeting, the teams prepare for kickoff, with the Blues wearing black armbands for former halfback Billy Guyton, who dies during the week.
Jordan Way is tonight's referee, as Campbell kicks off for the Reds. Blues secure the kickoff and win a clearing penalty at the ruck.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific clash between Queensland Reds and the Blues at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium.
A week ago, few would have feared the Reds, who are battling for the last playoff positions with just two more rounds remaining in the regular season.
Their upset win over the previously unbeaten Chiefs - albeit weakened by mandated All Blacks rest protocols - has put the rest of the competition on warning, especially the Blues, who are yet to recapture the form that put them into last year's final.
With captain Dalton Papali'i serving a three-week suspension, the Aucklanders have also rested several of their international performers - notably centre Rieko Ioane and winger Caleb Clarke - but retain Beauden Barrett at first-five.
Rugby league convert Roger Tuivasa-Sheck gets a rare chance to push for All Blacks selection off the bench, before he returns to the NRL with NZ Warriors next year.
Join us at 9:30pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Blues $1.27, Reds $3.70, Draw $21
Reds: 1-George Blake, 2-Richie Asiata. 3-Sef Fa’agase, 4-Angus Blyth, 5-Connor Vest, 6-Liam Wright, 7-Fraser McReight, 8-Seru Uru, 9-Tate McDermott, 10-Lawson Creighton, 11-Filipo Daugunu, 12-Taj Annan, 13-Josh Flook, 14-Suliasi Vunivalu, 15-Jock Campbell
Reserves: 16-Matt Faessler, 17-Dane Zander, 18-Zane Nonggorr, 19-Ryan Smith, 20-Harry Wilson, 21-Louis Werchon, 22-Tom Lynagh, 23-Mac Grealy
Blues: 1-Jordan Lay, 2-Ricky Riccitelli, 3-Marcel Renata, 4-Patrick Tuipulotu, 5-Cameron Suafoa, 6-Akira Ioane, 7-Adrian Choat, 8-Hoskins Sotutu, 9-Sam Nock, 10-Beauden Barrett, 11-AJ Lam, 12-Harry Plummer, 13-Bryce Heem, 14-Mark Telea, 15-Zarn Sullivan
Reserves: 16-Kurt Eklund, 17-Joshua Fusitu'a, 18-Nepo Laulala/James Lay, 19-James Tucker, 20-Anton Segner, 21-Taufa Funaki, 22-Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 23-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
How RTS can win his Blues spot back as Rugby World Cup ticks closer
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck faces an uphill battle to make the All Blacks squad for the Rugby World Cup, but it's one that starts at home, with the Blues.
After overcoming a broken hand, the midfielder has struggled for game-time, with just one start in the four Super Rugby Pacific rounds that have followed.
Tuivasa-Sheck, 29, will play just his second game since his return to fitness, after he was named on the Blues bench for their clash against Queensland Reds on Saturday.
With limited minutes behind him and a return to rugby league at the NZ Warriors looming, Tuivasa-Sheck is a longshot to make coach Ian Foster's All Blacks squad for France.
With just three rounds of Super Rugby left before the playoffs, an extended run for the Blues would certainly boost his chances.
Assistant coach Daniel Halangahu has revealed what Tuivasa-Sheck needs to do to start for the Blues and how the team can help him achieve that.
"I think, for a guy that hasn't played heaps of rugby, it was always going to take a little bit for him to come back to his best," he said. "What we want to see is what everyone wants to see - we want to see that footwork and we want to see him beating people.
"It's up to us as a group to put him in those situations, because we know when he's in space, he's untouchable almost.
"For him, it's around the little micro-communications and he knows that, he's been working really hard on it. He's very much committed to that, he comes in with a smile on his face and he's working hard for it - I applaud him for that."
Tuivasa-Sheck and All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Photo credit: Photosport
The Blues' desire to facilitate a resurgence in form for a desperate Tuivasa-Sheck isn't isolated to just the midfielder.
There are questions over star Beauden Barrett's form and his ability to manage a game, and he's another the coaches are looking for his teammates to better support - including Tuivasa-Sheck.
"We put very little of it on Beauden," Halangahu said. "His focus, with the No.9, is on the ruck.
"The No.15, wingers, they've got so much more time than our game drivers to see that space and they then need to communicate.
"I think that's part of the reason the All Blacks use Beauden at fullback, because we know how good his communication is and how he sees that space.
"We never put that on our 10s, whether it is Beauden or someone else - it's the other guys being able to communicate space and communicate options, and be really decisive and execute.
"That's part of the thing we're working with Roger on, and being able to get his eyes up and see that space and getting an effective call in."
