Greatest rugby sides: Reds 2011

David Skippers
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Jubilant Reds playerd celebrate after defeating the Brumbies in the Super Rugby match at Canberra Stadium, Saturday, May 26, 2012. The Reds won the match 13-12. (AAP Image/Alan Porritt) NO ARCHIVING

We take a look at the best ever teams to have graced the sport from years gone by and today we delve into the Reds side that claimed the 2011 Super Rugby title

Although they never had a sustained period of dominance, the story of this Australian outfit is remarkable. From no hopers to Super 14 winners, it all came right for this team as Ewen McKenzie’s men lifted the much-coveted trophy.

Between 2004 and 2009, the franchise had endured a wretched run, finishing no higher than 10th and often being the whipping boys for the rest of the league, but McKenzie’s arrival changed all that.

Named head coach in 2010, there were promising signs as they finished in fifth position in his first season in charge – just missing out on the semi-finals – but there was more to it than that. A succession of talented young players happened to come through at the same time and it ultimately culminated in one of the most thrilling victories in the tournament’s history.

What made them great

They were a vibrant, young team which played with no fear, a quality that shone throughout their title-winning campaign. Even in the final, where tension and conservativeness tends to supersede everything, there was an effervescence to their play and it justifiably ended in the side claiming the title.

The backline were the stars, however. While the pack was solid, with their back-row especially impressive during the campaign, the magic was often found behind the scrum. The half-backs were the catalyst and the outside backs thrived on the brilliance of Will Genia and Quade Cooper.

Digby Ioane aside, none of the others that featured in the 2011 final – Ben Tapuai, Anthony Fainga’a, Rod Davies and Jono Lance – were consistently picked for Australia, which is testament to the playmaking axis and, of course, the work of McKenzie.

It was not a team full of stars, particularly when you look at the Crusaders squad they faced in the showpiece event, and that’s what made their achievement all the greater.

This victory was not necessarily a shock, given that the Reds had threatened a year earlier, but it was refreshing to see a youthful outfit overcome experience while playing with such expression and vibrancy.

Key players

You cannot look beyond Will Genia and Quade Cooper, who were mesmeric during the 2011 season. Some will say that this partnership never quite reached its potential on the international stage, with Cooper in particular prone to some flaky moments in big games, but at Super Rugby level those deficiencies weren’t exposed.

As a result, they were a joy to watch and you could probably make one long highlight reel out of the brilliance those two exuded throughout the campaign. Their excellence also helped their wide players where talented wing Digby Ioane arguably enjoyed his best ever season, while ‘Rocket’ Rod Davies was an underrated part of a thrilling backline.

Up front, there were several superb performers as well, with Rob Simmons’ lineout expertise dovetailing nicely with James Horwill’s grunt and leadership at lock. Behind that duo was a quality back-row which featured the marauding Scott Higginbotham and Radike Samo, who complemented the excellent pilferer Beau Robinson.

Landmark performance

The Reds’ incredible run would have quickly been forgotten had they not secured the victory in the showpiece event. Interestingly, there weren’t necessarily the standout results that the team had in 2010, such as the 41-20 triumph over the Crusaders and the impressive home successes over 2010 finalists the Bulls and Stormers, but there was a maturity about the Queenslanders in 2011.

Narrow losses, which was their bane a year before, turned into battling wins and that was in evidence as they overcame the ‘Saders in the final at Suncorp Stadium. The New Zealanders had impressed in their last-four contest, defeating the Stormers 29-10 away from home, and they had a number of stars in their ranks.

Dan Carter and Richie McCaw were still playing stunning rugby and they were joined by a series of other top performers in the shape of Sonny Bill Williams, Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn and Owen Franks.

It was a daunting task for McKenzie’s men and was made harder when a piece of Carter brilliance saw the visitors take a 7-6 advantage into the interval. Step forward Ioane, however, whose solo effort moved the hosts in front for the first time in the match.

Carter’s penalty then levelled matters going into the final quarter before the decisive moment of the contest. It had to come from either Genia and Cooper, given their inspirational form during the regular season, and the former duly rose to the occasion.

After receiving the ball 65 metres out following a turnover, the scrum-half surged through a gap towards the 22. There was plenty of cover but Genia brilliantly dummied the final two defenders and used his express pace to cross the whitewash. The Reds then proceeded to defend valiantly for the rest of the encounter to write the final chapter in a remarkable tale.

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