Carter Gordon was praised by Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss after scoring a dramatic late try to hand the ACT Brumbies their first defeat of the Super Rugby season.
Gordon crossed after the full-time hooter to secure a 34-31 upset victory for the Reds in Canberra on Saturday in a dramatic match that was delayed by 90 minutes due to lightning strikes.
The Brumbies dominated much of the second half and led by 11 points with five minutes remaining, but late tries by wing Filipo Daugunu and Gordon completed a remarkable comeback.
Former Melbourne Rebels and Wallabies playmaker Gordon, who recently returned to rugby union after a two-year stint in rugby league, finished a sweeping move that began with a 50m break from fullback Jock Campbell.
Kiss said Gordon showed his class by stepping around Brumbies flyhalf Tane Edmed to score the decisive try.
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“For him to be able to take the bull by the horns in that moment, it was certainly very good for us,” Kiss said.
“I thought he had an impressive game. To get a return like that, taking the tryline, I think is a good thing for him for sure.”
The result marked a second successive win for the mid-table Reds and ended their five-match losing streak against the Canberra-based side.
Despite the defeat, the Brumbies remain top of the standings after four rounds thanks to a bonus point, sitting one point ahead of the Chiefs.
Brumbies prop James Slipper equalled the Super Rugby appearance record by playing his 202nd match, matching former Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett.
The retired Wallaby said he was proud of the milestone, but disappointed with the result.
“But, mate, I’d trade it all in to get a result tonight,” Slipper said. “Just the way that unfolded there at the end kind of put a dampener on things.”
Slipper also praised teammate Charlie Cale, who scored two of the Brumbies’ five tries and now leads the competition with seven for the season.
“He’s a bit of a freak, Charlie. He’s quicker than most of our backs,” Slipper said.
“He’s got his body right, and that’s probably the main thing for him. When his body’s right, we know what he can do.”
– AFP
Photo: Mark Nolan/Getty Images
