Former Wallaby Ben Tune scored a try in his final match before his home crowd as Queensland netted only their second win of the Super 14 season with a 23-13 triumph over the Cheetahs in Brisbane on Saturday.
First-half tries from James Horwill and Tune, who is retiring at the end of the season, gave the Reds their first win in ten matches. They remain bottom of the standings while the Cheetahs were also already out of semifinal contention.
Second-rower Horwill scored his first Super 14 try to complete a fine move after 16 minutes, and Tune put the Reds further ahead 11 minutes later when he intercepted a stray Cheetahs pass and ran home from 80 yards out.
Queensland looked comfortable at 14-3 at the break but three minutes after the interval a pushover try from Kabamba Floors was converted by Meyer Bosman and the gap was down to four points.
Clinton Schifcofske replied immediately with a penalty before three-pointers were exchanged, and a final clutch penalty three minutes from time by the fullback made sure of the ten-point winning margin.
An emotional Tune, a member of Australia’s 1999 World Cup-winning side, said he was glad to have signed off in style.
”I owed the Queensland crowd something, they have been very loyal. I’m lost for words,” Tune said in a pitch-side interview.
”I was very surprised I wasn’t run down [for the try] and I looked up at the giant screen to see if anyone was going to catch me. Luckily they didn’t.” — Reuters