Brisbane (Australia) (AFP)
Super Rugby, which this year comes down to national oppositions between franchises of the same country, because of the contingencies due to the Covid-19 pandemic, started in Australia Friday, with a victory of the Queensland Reds over the NSW Waratahs .
In front of his limited audience, the team coached by Brad Thorn, entered the field without three of his major players, Izack Rodda, Harry Hockings and Isaac Lucas who recently refused to cut their wages, the Reds won 32 to 26.
James O'Connor's boot, who planted two penalty kicks between the posts at the end of the match, sealed the fate of this meeting, the first rugby match in Australia in almost four months.
This success is the first achieved by the Queensland Reds on the NSW Waratahs in seven years.
As part of the first day of this mini-competition with five franchises, ACT Brumbies, who are favorites, will face the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday.
The Western Force, the franchise of Perth on the west coast of the island continent, will join the dance on the next day.
On the same model, Super Rugby Aotearoa, bringing together the five New Zealand franchises of Super Rugby (Hurricanes, Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders), started on June 13 in the land of All Blacks.
The South African version of this Super Rugby confined to each nation representing it, has not started. As for Argentina, it has only one franchise in Super Rugby: the Jaguars, finalists of the last edition.
The results of the 1st day
(Friday)
Reds - Waratahs 32 - 26
(Saturday)
Brumbies - Rebels
Exempt: Western Force
© 2020 AFP