• Reds 52 Waratahs 41

UPDATE: BERNARD Foley, Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau turn into rugby’s “Bermuda Triangle” whenever the Reds appear and the wreckage is now strewn over nine failed interstate nights in a row.

There have been Reds’ shockers in 2014 and 2015 when there have been no survivors of any merit in lame efforts lacking heart.

Saturday night’s Reds fought to the end even when conceding a record score against the NSW Waratahs and the marvellous interplay of their star trio.

The action-packed 15-try spectacle was a cracker with the Waratahs winning the breathless encounter 52-41 at Suncorp Stadium.

There were stars and eye-catching showings from players of both sides so the absolute winner is Wallabies coach Michael Cheika who will mesh the best of these two teams into the first Test side against Ireland at the same venue on Saturday.

Wallabies regulars Foley, Beale and Folau will be the heart of the Test backline as well and they flexed all their skills to decide the highest scoring Australian derby since the game when professional in 1996.

Five-eighth Foley’s cross-kick to a leaping Folau on half-time was magic for a try and you’d have touted Izzy to an AFL club on the strength of that. Been there, hated that. The Irish wingers and fullback will be nervous already at being peppered the same way.

Foley’s sharp six-from-seven showing as goalkicker, darting and excellent kicking to touch for attacking lineouts was decisive when Reds opposite Hamish Stewart hacked away for two-from-seven.

Centre Beale looped and darted and organised always while Folau feasted with two tries on his favourite turf and threw passes in plenty more.

Coach Brad Thorn’s Reds had a huge crack, starting with the early Scott Higginbotham intercept of a Foley pass that turned into a 60m runaway try for Izaia Perese.

Reserve backrower Caleb Timu made a superb audition for a Test spot with a bullocking try and a hand in another.

The Reds could have rolled over when 40-19 behind just after half-time or when down to 14 men when Kane Douglas was yellowcarded. They fought and showed huge spirit but being caught out defensively by the quick-ball raids of the Waratahs was decisive.

Reds hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa’s sharp pick-and-drive efforts, presence around the ball and several big scrums bound to influential prop Taniela Tupou was also another big Test audition.

With Rebels hooker Jordan Uelese (knee) certain to be out of Test calculations, Paenga-Amosa will play as a starter or from the bench.

Halfback Moses Sorovi transformed the Reds with his speed and livewire darts to better capitalise on any good work by the pack. Scoring seven tries and coming second will be hard to process for the Reds.

It was an electrifying jolt to the interstate game and Rugby Australia should step in to elevate it again because more than double the meagre crowd of 14,452 should have been lapping this one up.

Winger Izaia Perese made several strong tackles on giant rival Taqele Naiyaravoro but the 123kg winger from the Waratahs shed Stewart, Sorovi and late fullback replacement Jayden Ngamanu for his 11th try of the season and 21-12.

“Our offence was awesome with the depth in our attack and running onto the ball so it was really revealing about where we are proficient but also lacking a little in other areas,” Waratahs skipper Michael Hooper said.

When asked what he thought of Timu’s strong late-game cameo in a Test context, Hooper was open.

“He changed the momentum of the game when he came on...he’s a big, ball-carrying backrower and that’s something you like to play with.”

Reds coach Brad Thorn hates losing but he saw positives that kept the crowd engaged as well as remedial work ahead.

“We gave up some easy tries but one thing I asked for at the start of the season was fight to the end and we did,” Thorn said.

“There was some greating attacking rugby out there and they (the Waratahs) put the ball through the hands as well as any team.”

Thorn was rapt in the display of halfback Sorovi and called Paenga-Amosa’s performance “really impressive when you think he’s come from club footy to playing 13 games straight of Super Rugby and is now going to the Wallabies.”

WARATAHS 52 (I Folau 2, C Rona, T Naiyaravoro, M Wells, N Phipps, C Clark, J Gordon tries: B Foley 6 conv) REDS 41 (S Higginbotham, I Perese, T Tupou, A Mafi, J Petaia, C Timu, S Fa’agase tries; H Stewart 2 conv, B Lucas conv)

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