Gate D, Aisle 323, Row 6, Seat 2.
Reds forward Angus Scott-Young still remembers where he was sitting the last time the Reds played in a Super Rugby final at Suncorp Stadoim. And he has the ticket stub to prove it.
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Scott-Young was still in school in 2011 when a packed-out Suncorp witnessed the Reds hold on to defeat the Crusaders 18-13.
It was at this moment that the 24-year-old knew he wanted to play Rugby for a living.
“I was a Year Nine boy, pretty excited to see the Reds play the Crusaders. Actually playing against (Brad) Thorny which was pretty cool but that was a big moment for me where I decided I wanted to be a professional footy player for the Reds,” Scott-Young told media on Monday.
“It was an unreal night seeing all the support from Queensland at a packed-out Suncorp Stadium. There’s nothing better than that.
“I was passionate about Footy and a few other things but that was the moment where I was like ‘Yeah, I really want to do that’. At the end, when Willy Genia scored that awesome try, the support was incredible and that’s something I want to replicate in my career.”
Ten years later, the club is revelling in the success and the prospect of having a sold-out crowd for the May 8 Final against the Brumbies.
However, Scott-Young still remembers the lean years that helped shape the side after joining in 2017.
“The journey’s definitely really important. Those first few years in 2018 and 19 with Thorny were pretty tough at times,” he admitted.
“I think that it’s shown for me that the team were always fighters, we would never lay down and die which I think that spirit is still in this team which is the Queensland way.
“This year we’ve had some really good performances, some close ones as well which have been pretty nerve-racking but to get to the final is an awesome achievement… we want to go one more this weekend.”
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Despite suffering just one loss throughout the year, the Reds' journey to the Final has been far from pretty, caught up in two separate lockdowns.
Scott-Young praised the work of the squad both on and off the field to endure the troubles and not let it affect preparations.
“You’d say they’re distractions but for us, they’re new challenges,” he believed.
“When we got lockdown to Sydney after the Waratahs game, that was an interesting week, to be honest, we weren’t sure when we were coming back and that last snap lockdown in Perth, that was another challenge.
“We’ve been training well, it hasn’t distracted us on the field. Off the field, our management being doing really well…organising flights on the go. The vibe has been really good and we’ve been training really well which is all that really matters.”
It’s a rematch of the 2020 Super Rugby AU decider as the Reds host the Brumbies on Saturday 8 May at Suncorp Stadium, kicking off at 7:45pm AEST. Click here to purchase tickets to one of the most anticipated Rugby matches of the year.
