WFR News
PIRATES WITHSTAND LATE EDINBURGH SURGE TO CLAIM SIXTH WIN
2026-07-21 11:41:56
Reinach double and composed Kellaway performance guide Brisbane to a 40-31 victory. Brisbane Pirates continued their outstanding inaugural WFR campaign with a 40-31 away victory over Edinburgh Cannon, although a late defensive fade gave Head Coach Andy “Skull” Head plenty to address before Round 8.
The Pirates scored six tries and led 40-12 with just over 20 minutes remaining, having produced some of their most clinical attacking rugby of the season. Edinburgh then crossed three times in the closing 11 minutes to make the final score considerably tighter than the contest had appeared.
Brisbane still departed with five valuable competition points and a sixth victory from seven matches. Their status as a Conference One contender is no longer based on potential. It is supported by results.
Cooper Makes Immediate Impact
With Declan Meredith absent from the starting side, Brisbane turned to the experience of Quade Cooper at flyhalf. The veteran playmaker made an immediate contribution, scoring the opening try in the 13th minute after Edinburgh had controlled much of the early territory. Andrew Kellaway converted to give the visitors a 7-0 advantage.
Three minutes later, Elrigh Louw crossed for Brisbane’s second try. The powerful loose forward was one of the Pirates’ most influential players, carrying strongly and repeatedly disrupting Edinburgh at the breakdown. Brisbane had absorbed early pressure and suddenly led 14-0.
Edinburgh Fight Back
The home side responded through Blair Kinghorn in the 20th minute before Gregor Brown crossed seven minutes later. Kinghorn converted Brown’s try, reducing Brisbane’s lead to just two points. Edinburgh had restored momentum and briefly threatened to take control of the match.
The Pirates answered through their backline.
Cobus Reinach created the opening for Tim Ryan to cross in the 30th minute, before scoring himself seven minutes later after a strong run from Dylan Pietsch. Kellaway converted Reinach’s try to give Brisbane a 26-12 halftime advantage.
Reinach Takes Control
The second half began perfectly for Brisbane. Only three minutes after the restart, Reinach crossed for his second try. The experienced scrumhalf’s support play, speed around the breakdown and territorial kicking were central to Brisbane’s performance. His second try extended the lead to 33-12 and gave the Pirates complete control of the contest. Reinach continues to provide the calm and experience that has allowed Brisbane’s younger players to express themselves throughout the season.
Pietsch Secures the Bonus Point
Edinburgh’s task became even more difficult when Ollie Leatherbrow was shown a yellow card in the 51st minute. Brisbane eventually capitalised through Dylan Pietsch, who finished an attacking move created by replacement Luke Morahan in the 57th minute. Kellaway converted to make it 40-12.
With six tries scored and a 28-point advantage established, Brisbane appeared to have completed another emphatic away performance.
Late Collapse Takes Shine Off Victory
The final quarter told a very different story. Gregor Brown scored his second try in the 69th minute before Mikey Jones crossed six minutes later. Edinburgh continued attacking until the final play, with Sam Byrd scoring in the 80th minute to reduce the final margin to nine points.Brisbane conceded 19 unanswered points during the closing stages.
The late tries did not threaten the result, but they denied the Pirates the opportunity to finish with the authority their earlier performance deserved. Handling errors from Quade Cooper and Elrigh Louw contributed to Edinburgh’s late momentum, while Brisbane struggled to exit their territory cleanly.
For a side now carrying genuine title expectations, the manner in which the match finished will be a significant point of discussion during the week.
Kellaway Steps Up
Andrew Kellaway delivered a composed performance from fullback and assumed the goal-kicking responsibilities. He converted five of Brisbane’s six tries, contributing ten points and providing a steady presence behind the backline. His decision-making from penalties also helped Brisbane establish field position throughout the match. Kellaway’s ability to shift between attacking threat, tactical kicker and senior leader makes him increasingly valuable to the Pirates.
Louw Leads the Forward Pack
Elrigh Louw produced one of his strongest performances of the season. He scored Brisbane’s second try and made repeated interventions at the breakdown, winning or slowing possession at several important moments. Although he made mistakes late in the match, his work during the opening hour helped Brisbane build their decisive lead.
Fraser McReight and Tom Hooper also contributed strongly around the contest area, while Seru Uru remained a physical presence despite two handling errors.
Injury Concern
Brisbane suffered another injury setback when Ben Dalton was forced from the field in the 54th minute.
The initial assessment suggests Dalton could miss one to two matches.
His injury follows the loss of Corey Toole in Round 6, testing the depth of Brisbane’s squad as the competition enters its decisive phase.
Andrew Ready replaced Dalton and helped Brisbane manage the remainder of the contest.
Coach’s Corner
Head Coach Andy “Skull” Head praised Brisbane’s attacking performance but was frustrated by the final quarter: “For an hour, that was some of the best rugby we’ve played. We were accurate, we took our chances and we controlled the scoreboard. The last 20 minutes weren’t acceptable. Good sides finish games properly. We gave them momentum and then we kept feeding it. We’ll enjoy the five points, but we won’t ignore the way it ended.”
Pirate of the Match
Cobus Reinach
Two tries, excellent support running and another commanding tactical performance. Reinach controlled the match during Brisbane’s strongest periods and was central to the attacking efficiency that established the decisive lead.
Key Performers
Elrigh Louw: One try and several important breakdown contributions.
Andrew Kellaway: Five conversions and calm leadership from fullback.
Dylan Pietsch: Scored Brisbane’s sixth try after helping create Reinach’s first.
Quade Cooper: Opened the scoring and brought experience at flyhalf, despite two late handling errors.
The next stage of their development is learning to close the door when an opponent is beaten. For 60 minutes in Edinburgh, Brisbane looked every inch a championship contender. For the final 20, they were reminded how quickly momentum can change.
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The Pirates scored six tries and led 40-12 with just over 20 minutes remaining, having produced some of their most clinical attacking rugby of the season. Edinburgh then crossed three times in the closing 11 minutes to make the final score considerably tighter than the contest had appeared.
Brisbane still departed with five valuable competition points and a sixth victory from seven matches. Their status as a Conference One contender is no longer based on potential. It is supported by results.
Cooper Makes Immediate Impact
With Declan Meredith absent from the starting side, Brisbane turned to the experience of Quade Cooper at flyhalf. The veteran playmaker made an immediate contribution, scoring the opening try in the 13th minute after Edinburgh had controlled much of the early territory. Andrew Kellaway converted to give the visitors a 7-0 advantage.
Three minutes later, Elrigh Louw crossed for Brisbane’s second try. The powerful loose forward was one of the Pirates’ most influential players, carrying strongly and repeatedly disrupting Edinburgh at the breakdown. Brisbane had absorbed early pressure and suddenly led 14-0.
Edinburgh Fight Back
The home side responded through Blair Kinghorn in the 20th minute before Gregor Brown crossed seven minutes later. Kinghorn converted Brown’s try, reducing Brisbane’s lead to just two points. Edinburgh had restored momentum and briefly threatened to take control of the match.
The Pirates answered through their backline.
Cobus Reinach created the opening for Tim Ryan to cross in the 30th minute, before scoring himself seven minutes later after a strong run from Dylan Pietsch. Kellaway converted Reinach’s try to give Brisbane a 26-12 halftime advantage.
Reinach Takes Control
The second half began perfectly for Brisbane. Only three minutes after the restart, Reinach crossed for his second try. The experienced scrumhalf’s support play, speed around the breakdown and territorial kicking were central to Brisbane’s performance. His second try extended the lead to 33-12 and gave the Pirates complete control of the contest. Reinach continues to provide the calm and experience that has allowed Brisbane’s younger players to express themselves throughout the season.
Pietsch Secures the Bonus Point
Edinburgh’s task became even more difficult when Ollie Leatherbrow was shown a yellow card in the 51st minute. Brisbane eventually capitalised through Dylan Pietsch, who finished an attacking move created by replacement Luke Morahan in the 57th minute. Kellaway converted to make it 40-12.
With six tries scored and a 28-point advantage established, Brisbane appeared to have completed another emphatic away performance.
Late Collapse Takes Shine Off Victory
The final quarter told a very different story. Gregor Brown scored his second try in the 69th minute before Mikey Jones crossed six minutes later. Edinburgh continued attacking until the final play, with Sam Byrd scoring in the 80th minute to reduce the final margin to nine points.Brisbane conceded 19 unanswered points during the closing stages.
The late tries did not threaten the result, but they denied the Pirates the opportunity to finish with the authority their earlier performance deserved. Handling errors from Quade Cooper and Elrigh Louw contributed to Edinburgh’s late momentum, while Brisbane struggled to exit their territory cleanly.
For a side now carrying genuine title expectations, the manner in which the match finished will be a significant point of discussion during the week.
Kellaway Steps Up
Andrew Kellaway delivered a composed performance from fullback and assumed the goal-kicking responsibilities. He converted five of Brisbane’s six tries, contributing ten points and providing a steady presence behind the backline. His decision-making from penalties also helped Brisbane establish field position throughout the match. Kellaway’s ability to shift between attacking threat, tactical kicker and senior leader makes him increasingly valuable to the Pirates.
Louw Leads the Forward Pack
Elrigh Louw produced one of his strongest performances of the season. He scored Brisbane’s second try and made repeated interventions at the breakdown, winning or slowing possession at several important moments. Although he made mistakes late in the match, his work during the opening hour helped Brisbane build their decisive lead.
Fraser McReight and Tom Hooper also contributed strongly around the contest area, while Seru Uru remained a physical presence despite two handling errors.
Injury Concern
Brisbane suffered another injury setback when Ben Dalton was forced from the field in the 54th minute.
The initial assessment suggests Dalton could miss one to two matches.
His injury follows the loss of Corey Toole in Round 6, testing the depth of Brisbane’s squad as the competition enters its decisive phase.
Andrew Ready replaced Dalton and helped Brisbane manage the remainder of the contest.
Coach’s Corner
Head Coach Andy “Skull” Head praised Brisbane’s attacking performance but was frustrated by the final quarter: “For an hour, that was some of the best rugby we’ve played. We were accurate, we took our chances and we controlled the scoreboard. The last 20 minutes weren’t acceptable. Good sides finish games properly. We gave them momentum and then we kept feeding it. We’ll enjoy the five points, but we won’t ignore the way it ended.”
Pirate of the Match
Cobus Reinach
Two tries, excellent support running and another commanding tactical performance. Reinach controlled the match during Brisbane’s strongest periods and was central to the attacking efficiency that established the decisive lead.
Key Performers
Elrigh Louw: One try and several important breakdown contributions.
Andrew Kellaway: Five conversions and calm leadership from fullback.
Dylan Pietsch: Scored Brisbane’s sixth try after helping create Reinach’s first.
Quade Cooper: Opened the scoring and brought experience at flyhalf, despite two late handling errors.
The next stage of their development is learning to close the door when an opponent is beaten. For 60 minutes in Edinburgh, Brisbane looked every inch a championship contender. For the final 20, they were reminded how quickly momentum can change.