By Raman GorayaUpdated July 10, 2011 14:36:00 Emotional Queensland players made sure to recognise the dark days that have been left behind as the Reds' meteoric rise from Super Rugby's laughing stock to champions reached a euphoric peak on Saturday night.
Spurred on by a raucous home crowd of 52,113 at Lang Park, the Reds buried its demons with a few moments of brilliance in an otherwise tense 18-13 triumph over New Zealand heavyweights the Crusaders.
The Reds earned respect and tasted success as back-to-back champions in the amateur Super 10 competition, but in the professional era they have struggled to ditch the cellar-dwellers tag.
The halcyon days featuring Wallaby legends John Eales and Tim Horan at Ballymore, and after them the entertaining Chris Latham, fell by the wayside and were replaced by disappointing crowds and embarrassing 89-point floggings.
But after finishing in the bottom three from 2004 to 2009, the arrival of coach Ewen McKenzie has acted as the catalyst for the Reds to lift themselves out of the doldrums to the apex of Super Rugby again, somewhere an Australian team has not been for seven years.
Even McKenzie, who took the Waratahs to two finals in 2005 and 2008 but fell short on both occasions against the Crusaders, did not expect such a quick surge to the pinnacle.
"I felt we could be successful, but playing a home final at Suncorp in front of 50,000, we probably thought that might have been a stretch," he told Grandstand moments after the game.
"The organisation deserves some sort of recognition," McKenzie added later.
"It's been a long journey in a short space of time.
"I was reflecting on that (after full-time) but the only way you get recognition is by winning - and we have done that."
Four years ago James Horwill was doing his best not be recognised as he and his red-faced team-mates walked through Brisbane Airport in plain clothes after returning home from a 92-3 thumping at the hands of the Bulls in South Africa.
"That's probably the lowest point we've ever been," the Reds skipper said after lifting the Super Rugby trophy to the delight of masses, who in the same stadium just three days earlier witnessed Queensland claim a sixth straight Origin series and before that the Roar's remarkable A-League grand final win.
"As an organisation now we're arguably at the highest point we've ever been.
"To do that in a short period of time, it's pretty special and to be part of that, it's pretty cool to be honest."
Horwill stood proudly in red as he lifted the Super Rugby trophy to the delight of masses, who in the same stadium just three days earlier witnessed Queensland claim a sixth straight Origin series and before that the Roar's remarkable A-League grand final win.
Reds scrum-half Will Genia, who produced the match-winning try with 12 minutes left, credited his predecessors who endured a rebuilding phase made harder by an exodus of key players.
"We went through a long time, a long few years of getting dusted up a bit and being the laughing stock of the Super Rugby competition," he said.
"And credit must go to everyone who played through those times. This is for them, this is for everyone that has gone before and was there for those dark times."
Not all side steps and flick passes
The minor premier Reds, boasting 13 wins from their last 14 matches played at Lang Park, lost just three games all season on the back of their popular, expansive game directed by talented playmakers Genia and Quade Cooper.
It should not have come as a surprise then when Digby Ioane and Genia sliced through for long range tries to set up the memorable victory.
Genia's determined solo effort in particular is destined to go down in rugby folklore next to another number nine George Gregan and his try-saving tackle on All Black Jeff Wilson.
But the biggest testament to the strength of the Reds' win over the seven-time champions from New Zealand was that both Genia and Cooper had average outings against their lofty standards.
For that is the largely untold story of this determined Reds squad, which has been consistently ripped apart by injuries and occasionally forced to reach well beyond its player pool to field a line-up.
The effort, spirit and execution has come from all directions, not just the side steps, flick passes and audacious kicks.
Beau Robinson, one of this season's stand-outs, was in the rugby wilderness late last year before moving up to Brisbane despite the Reds having no room on their contract list.
His fearless work and tenacity at the break down earned 'The Wild Thing' a spot in the team, a two-year contract, cult hero status, a Super Rugby title and now a spot in the Wallabies squad (along with 14 of his team-mates) to boot.
And all that after dislocating his elbow just a month out from the finals in 2011.
Sharing a similar path is towering back rower Radike Samo, who earned a recall to the Australian squad for the first time in seven years on the back of his transformation from Reds ring-in to regular starter.
Samo won a Super Rugby title with the Brumbies in 2004, also against the Crusaders. His past was not weighed down by the scars of seasons gone and now neither are those his Reds team-mates.
On Sunday, the Queensland schoolboys continued their state's hot streak by defeating NSW in the championship final at Ballymore.
Queensland rugby's future is bright and the past is finally dead and buried.
Tags: sport,
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new-zealand First posted July 10, 2011 13:28:00
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