Blues winger Tanielu Tele’a scored a first-half try but was sent off in the second half for a dangerous tackle. The Blues won the first two Super Rugby tournaments in 1996 and 1997 but their last title was in 2003 and they haven’t reached the playoffs since 2011. Pollard was given the chance when the Bulls won a decisive scrum penalty on a Sharks feed with the clock ticking down. Cooper played 118 Super Rugby matches for Queensland until 2017 when new Reds coach Brad Thorn cut him from his squad. In the second half Cooper instigated a kick and chase from a dropped Reds pass which made Maddocks’ second try, taking the winger to the top of the Super Rugby try-scorers’ list this season.

Source: National Post March 30, 2019 08:56 UTC