The Queensland Reds first five Quade Cooper says the sell out crowd at Suncorp Stadium gave him all the confidence he needed to slot the winning penalty under pressure during the final moments of their nailbiting 17-16 Super Rugby win over the Crusaders last night.
Cooper had missed several easy shots on goal during the match but looked as cool as a cucumber as he pushed the winning penalty between the uprights to the delight of the parochial 48,000 strong crowd.
The Crusaders had taken the lead through another impeccable performance with the boot from All Blacks first five Dan Carter, but it was the Wallabies playmaker Cooper who had the last laugh in Brisbane.
With just three rounds remaining in the regular season the win cements the Reds at the top of the table on 58 points, four clear of the second placed Blues with the Stormers third on 52 and the Crusaders fourth on 49.
Six teams will qualify for the playoffs.
