In rare rugby air, Tokyo Olympian relishes clarity

West Australian

3 days ago

Now in rare rugby air, it's no wonder Lachie Anderson has a sense of clarity.
The Tokyo Olympian and rugby sevens convert joined an exclusive Super Rugby group in Saturday's final round of the regular season when he crossed four times for the Queensland Reds.
His extraordinary first-half effort is a Reds record in the professional era.
Wallabies stars Joe Roff (Brumbies, 1996) and Drew Mitchell (Waratahs, 2010) are the only other Australians to replicate the feat.
A potential ankle injury to fellow winger Tim Ryan may make the process simpler for coach Les Kiss.
But in a team brimming with backline talent, Anderson's haul against the helpless Fijian Drua was a strong case for retention on the wing in Friday's quarter-final against the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Fellow sevens convert Corey Toole is loudly pushing his case for Test honours in Canberra with the ACT Brumbies.
This was the centre stage moment for the underrated 27-year-old Melbourne Rebels recruit, where he had moved to in 2020 and played 35 games before the club was shuttered last year.
"It's amazing what clarity on your future can do," Anderson said.
"It wasn't easy in Melbourne and what the club went through. Unless you were there and living it you don't now how tough that was.
"The unknown; it's tough. Blokes with kids in schools, partners with jobs and you didn't know what it would be like in six months.
"To come up here to this program, have clarity to focus on rugby ... I'm really enjoying it."
Anderson scored three times inside 10 minutes then had a fourth when in-form flyhalf Tom Lynagh assisted again with a calm cross-field kick to his corner.
"I didn't know (about the record)," he said.
"You're in the thick of it, don't think too much about it but didn't know the stats on it anyway.
"It's a great feeling, to be on the back end of some of that stuff and when you train those moves at training and a few come off.
"You always need a bit of luck in this game and I got a bit of it."
The Reds, who were on top of the ladder barely a month ago, finished fifth and will need to beat the second-placed Crusaders to earn a spot in a semi-final.
The Crusaders inflicted the biggest defeat - 43-19 - on the Reds this season when they met in March.
"The belief we've got, across the whole squad, in all positions," Anderson said.
"We've been tested on that front and everyone has belief. It gives confidence about how far we can go."