A historic four-try first half from winger Lachie Anderson ensured no hiccups for the Queensland Reds against the Fijian Drua in a soggy Super Rugby Pacific finals warm-up.
Anderson scored three times inside 10 minutes while the Drua were a man down in the first half, then added another before the main break to set a new record for the Reds in a 52-7 Saturday win.
He’s only the third Australian to score four tries in a Super Rugby game, after Joe Roff in 1996 and Drew Mitchell in 2010.
Most were handed to Anderson on a platter, especially a neat cross-field kick from clinical flyhalf Tom Lynagh for his fourth.
But the haul was just reward for a fine season from the former rugby sevens and Melbourne Rebels recruit.
Anderson did his best to keep his starting berth for Friday’s sudden death quarterfinal in Christchurch against the Crusaders, a match-up that had already been locked in before the fifth-placed Reds took the field on Saturday.
Test centre Josh Flook also scored in his confident return from a long-term hamstring injury, but the red-hot Filipo Daugunu will surely start in the centres or on a wing next week after coming off the bench on Saturday night and scoring a late try.
Joe Brial completed the rout with a try on the full-time siren.
There were concerns for Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson though, who returned from a fractured arm last week but left the field later in the second half on Saturday seemingly in pain.
The Suva-based Drua won four games on home soil, including their clash with the Reds, but weren’t able to muster a victory on the road as they finished second-last in their fourth campaign.
They had themselves to blame after an encouraging start, with Iosefa Masi yellow carded for up-ending Jock Campbell in the ruck and then Etonia Waqa binned in the second half for taking out Tim Ryan’s legs in the air.
Haereiti Hetet scored their sole try while hooker Tevita Ikanivere, in his 50th game for the fledgling Drua, was denied from a trick play from the lineout.
He charged through two would-be tacklers only to be sent into touch by a flying Lynagh, who again showed defensive grit to go with offensive flourish.
