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Brisbane - Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper scored 31 points to lead his side to a 41-20 victory over the Crusaders in their Super 14 match in Brisbane on Friday.
Cooper scored two tries and kicked five penalties and three conversions while wingers Digby Ioane and Rod Davies also scored tries for the home side, who recorded their first victory over the Crusaders in Super rugby since 1999.
Andy Ellis and Brad Thorn scored tries for the visitors while Daniel Carter added two penalties and two conversions. "We stuck at it for 80 minutes and that's a great result for the boys," said Reds captain James Horwill, who suffered what he thought was a serious knee injury and had to be replaced in the second half.
Cooper slotted home three penalties and also finished off his first try after a break from Davies in the first half, while Carter got two penalties for the visitors, who began strongly but were curtailed when prop Owen Franks was sinbinned.
The Reds flyhalf added two more penalties after the break to give his side a 20-6 lead before Digby Ioane extended it to 25-6 when he snaffled Anthony Faingaa's grubber kick and outpaced the cover defence.
Cooper extended the score to 27-6 with a successful conversion, though the Crusaders stormed back with Ellis's try immediately after Reds lock Adam Byrnes had been sinbinned.
The visitors were again hot on attack but turned over the ball and Morgan Turinui ran for 30 metres before he fed Davies who streaked away to give his side a 34-13 lead with 15 minutes left.
Cooper intercepted Ellis's pass and cantered away under the posts for his second try with six minutes left before Thorn scored a consolation try in the final minute.
"That was real tough. We just weren't there," Crusaders captain Kieran Read said. "We didn't put anything out on the track and it's very disappointing."
Cooper scored two tries and kicked five penalties and three conversions while wingers Digby Ioane and Rod Davies also scored tries for the home side, who recorded their first victory over the Crusaders in Super rugby since 1999.
Andy Ellis and Brad Thorn scored tries for the visitors while Daniel Carter added two penalties and two conversions. "We stuck at it for 80 minutes and that's a great result for the boys," said Reds captain James Horwill, who suffered what he thought was a serious knee injury and had to be replaced in the second half.
Cooper slotted home three penalties and also finished off his first try after a break from Davies in the first half, while Carter got two penalties for the visitors, who began strongly but were curtailed when prop Owen Franks was sinbinned.
The Reds flyhalf added two more penalties after the break to give his side a 20-6 lead before Digby Ioane extended it to 25-6 when he snaffled Anthony Faingaa's grubber kick and outpaced the cover defence.
Cooper extended the score to 27-6 with a successful conversion, though the Crusaders stormed back with Ellis's try immediately after Reds lock Adam Byrnes had been sinbinned.
The visitors were again hot on attack but turned over the ball and Morgan Turinui ran for 30 metres before he fed Davies who streaked away to give his side a 34-13 lead with 15 minutes left.
Cooper intercepted Ellis's pass and cantered away under the posts for his second try with six minutes left before Thorn scored a consolation try in the final minute.
"That was real tough. We just weren't there," Crusaders captain Kieran Read said. "We didn't put anything out on the track and it's very disappointing."
