The Reds turned in one their most exhilarating performances of the season to defeat the Auckland Blues 33-26 at Ballymore, but it looked like they had lost such was the dejection etched on the faces of the players as the full-time siren sounded.
The Reds did almost everything they had to, to stay alive in the Super 12 - they won the game and scored four tries for a bonus point - but Adrian Cashmore's penalty in the 78th minute brought the Blues to within seven points to earn their own crucial bonus point. Both sides finish on 30 points, but the Auckland Blues could still go through courtesy of their superior for-and-against.
But they still have an anxious wait on the results from the Sharks-Stormers game and the Cats-Chiefs game still to come in South Africa before they know if they qualify for the semi-finals.
Auckland and Queensland have established a fine rivalry in recent years and this game was no different. The added bonus of course was the fact both sides were desperate for the bonus point and played an appropriate, free-flowing game much to the satisfaction of the crowd. While the game didn't quite throw up the endless array of decoy plays that the Brumbies have developed to a fine art, it still provided some scintillating moments of attack and some equally inspirational moments of defence.
The stage was set for a cracking contest when Blues fullback Adrian Cashmore found space out wide to cross after just three minutes. The Reds were quick to reply just two minutes later when outside-centre Daniel Herbert opened Queensland's account with some smart play down the blind following strong midfield work by the Reds forwards.
Herbert could have sold sand to the Arabs, so successful were some of the dummies he sold the dumbfounded Blues defence throughout the first half. His spectacular five pointer on half-time was no exception after breaking through with the initial crash ball 30m out. The Wallaby centre darted cross field in a bid to link with his support, but with few options, sold one dummy and then a second to slice through and cross out wide.
The Blues earlier struck back quickly after Herbert's first try when Iliesa Tanivula received the ball on the blind from a five-yard scrum and brushed off a poor attempt at tackle by Nathan Williams to score in the corner. Cashmore's conversion missed, but he extended the lead to 15-5 three minutes later with a penalty. Reds captain John Eales ensured Queensland stayed in touch in the 22nd minute when he finished off some excellent lead-up work with Elton Flatley's conversion reducing the lead to 15-12.
The game settled down slightly from its frantic opening, but both sides still exploited plenty of gaps in the opposition to provide the crowd with a great spectacle. The Blues looked the most dangerous in broken play and looked to expose the Reds out wide on every opportunity. Centre Eroni Clarke and Craig Innes ran strongly all night and in flankers Andrew Blowers and Justin Collins, the Blues had a formidable presence all over the field.
The Reds weren't quite as spectacular, but every time they ventured into Blues territory were methodical in their build-up with their ball retention creating plenty of opportunities.
At 15-5 down, things went from bad to worse for the Reds when winger Ricky Nalatu was sin-binned for 10 minutes for obstruction in the 25th minute. Previous games in the Super 12 showed that a side scored twice while the opposition was one man down. But if anything, Nalatu's departure lifted the Reds.
They took the lead for the first time in the 32nd minute when flyhalf Elton Flatley scored besides the posts following a break by fullback Chris Latham 15m out. Latham steamed onto a neat inside pass from halfback Sam Cordingley after a typically efficient build-up by the Reds forwards. Flatley added the conversion and a penalty before Herbert closed out the half with his second five pointer and importantly for the Reds a bonus point with their fourth try.
Flatley extended the lead to 30-15 with a penalty soon after the break, but it was the Blues looking the most dangerous after half-time and it was only some desperate Reds defence that stopped several try-scoring opportunities. However it only seemed a matter of time before the Blues would cross and after an incredible period of sustained pressure when they stretched the Reds defence from one side of the field to the other, Collins found space out wide to score in the corner in the 54th minute.
The Blues were on the attack immediately from the restart thanks to winger Doug Howlett and Cashmore looked certain to finish off the movement that started in his half, but was taken into the corner post by a desperate Mark Murray and Nalatu, seeking redemption for his earlier sin-binning.
Auckland closed the gap further with a penalty to Cashmore in the 62nd minute. The successful conversion brought the Blues within seven points and a much-needed bonus point, but it seemed to spark the Reds back into action after falling off the pace during the early stages of the second half. A textbook tackle around the ankles by Horan on a seemingly try-bound Howlett on halfway also seemed to lift the Reds.
The Reds started to make ground down both flanks and Flatley looked to have scored a try in the 73rd minute, but had the ball knocked out of his hands by Howlett as he dived over the line. However, he managed to knock over a penalty two minutes later to extend the lead and put Queensland into safety with a 33-23 lead.
Horan completed a superb defensive game to bring down a rampaging Joeli Vidiri in the 78th minute. But the charge gave the Blues some much-needed momentum and Queensland's worst fears were realised with just one minute to go when the Blues were awarded a penalty. Cashmore added the vital three points and at the same time hammered the final nail into Queensland's coffin.
QUEENSLAND REDS 33 (D Herbert 2, J Eales, E Flatley tries, E Flatley 3 pen goals, 2 conv) bt AUCKLAND BLUES 26 (A Cashmore, I Tanivula, J Collins tries, A Cashmore 3 pen goals, conv) at Ballymore. Referee: J Kaplan.