The Blues fought hard but ultimately fell short, losing 35-21 to the Reds in their Anzac Weekend Round clash on Friday night.
The Reds came out firing, scoring two early tries to race to a 14-0 lead. The Blues responded with pressure of their own, camping on the Reds’ line for long periods, but couldn’t convert.
Kurt Eklund looked to have gotten one back from a lineout drive, only for the try to be ruled out for obstruction. The Blues were held up over the line four times in the first half as the Reds showed desperate defence.
A pivotal moment came on the half-hour mark, with Mark Tele'a shown yellow for a tip tackle later upgraded to a 20-minute red putting the Blues under more pressure.
Yet the setback seemed to spark the Blues into life. A penalty allowed them to set up another lineout drive 15 metres out, and this time Eklund wouldn’t be denied, pouncing over to get the Blues on the board. The Reds led 14-7 at the break.
The Blues started the second half brightly and thought they had drawn level when Angus Ta’avao crashed over, but a knock-on scrubbed the try. From there, it became a battle for territory and momentum, with the Reds striking twice to extend their lead to 28-7.
The Blues refused to go away. In the 68th minute, a quick tap saw the forwards battering the line before Sam Nock spotted a half-gap and darted through to score, reducing the margin to 28–14. While the Reds responded quickly with another try, the Blues had the final say. Anton Segner muscled his way between defenders to crash over, trimming the score to 35-21.
In the final minute, Beauden Barrett nearly produced magic, chipping perfectly for Corey Evans, who couldn't quite reel it in with the line beckoning. Hoskins Sotutu and AJ Lam carried hard throughout the contest, while Barrett added spark off the bench, but it wasn’t enough on a tough night in Brisbane.
The Blues now return home for a crucial must-win clash against the Western Force and they’ll be fired up to bounce back at Eden Park.