- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Reds revolution under Les Kiss is well and truly underway, as Queensland held out the Chiefs to seal one of the franchise’s best wins in recent memory.
A week after losing to the Hurricanes in golden point, it looked like more heartbreak was around the corner.
Then, ten months after holding out the Chiefs across the ditch, the Reds did it again.
Despite looking like going the length of the field, the Reds, led by Fraser McReight and his back-row partner Harry Wilson, managed to hold out last year’s runners up for 23 phases to win 25-19.
The hero at the death was Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, who managed to get on the ball after Wilson and Ryan Smith’s tackle, as New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe pinged the Chiefs for not releasing.
At once the 17,000 strong fan base rose as one, as chants of ‘We are Red’ finally echoed throughout Suncorp Stadium.
“I’m over the moon,” co-captain Tate McDermott said.
“A bit of deja vu, it was the same story as last year when we had them.
“From where we were last week, we let go of that [match] at the end, and this week we held on. I’m so proud of the effort.”
Watch every match of Super Rugby Pacific ad-free, live & on demand on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport
The Queensland Reds celebrate victory over the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium, on March 09, 2024, in Brisbane. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
The win puts the Reds on the map once again in Super Rugby.
While the Reds managed to bring back 42,000 fans when they took out the Super Rugby AU title in 2021 under Thorn, that was the exception not the norm.
Indeed, consistency and player development plagued the Reds for years in the post-Ewen McKenzie era.
On Saturday, hope returned.
“All four coaches, we were riding it pretty hard,” Kiss told Stan Sport.
“We’re not surprised. But that’s titanic in a way, isn’t it, to hold out the Chiefs?
“You could see the relief and the joy from the guys. I thought it was a tough match. It was probably fitting that it went down to that minute, it was pretty tight.”
Considered 10 point outsiders against the previously unbeaten Chiefs, few gave the Reds a chance after the New Zealanders smashed the Brumbies last week.
In addition, it came off the back of the Reds’ disappointment last week, where they let slip a golden chance by going down 38-33 to the Hurricanes in golden point.
In previous years the Reds would have dropped their bundle, particularly after losing three international players – Alex Hodgman (shoulder), Hunter Paisami and Jordan Petaia (both concussion – to injuries. Not now.
“The boys were gutted last week, but they didn’t lose themselves down a cul-de-sac of doom,” Kiss said.
“They just said, ‘what can we focus on next?’ We took the week day-by-day and focussed on us.
“If you overfocus on the Chiefs, I think you can hurt yourself. We just did a real good job on making sure we did the things we’re good at well.”
Asked what he had changed to help turn around the Reds so quickly, Kiss tried to temper expectation but said the group’s willingness to learn and grow was a factor.
“It’s only three games in,” he repeated. “We will stay grounded.
“A couple of people said we weren’t our best, but I did think we were the better team tonight.
“I guess it just shows their deep desire to want to be better and find out how far they can go in this competition. It’s two from three, we’ve just got to keep our heads.
“If I was to say one thing, the coaches I have brought in have been fantastic, the leadership of Wrongers [Liam Wright] and Tate has been unbelievable, we have a deep care and connection, and, if we stay focussed on those things, then things are possible.”
Queensland Reds head coach Les Kiss has managed to turn the team around after years of under achieving. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Making the win all the more phenomenal was that it was no fluke.
The Chiefs had 62 per cent of territory, but the Reds’ defence and their discipline was brilliant.
Smith led the tackle count with 21, while McReight (19) and his back-row partner Wright (17) were right behind the second-rower.
The victory was built around a strong set-piece, with Matt Faessler’s lineout firing and the scrum, helped by an injection off the bench from Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, bettered the Chiefs.
It meant McKenzie wasn’t able to get the quick, clean ball he so often does and flourishes behind.
The Reds’ midfield pairing of Issac Henry and Josh Flook were outstanding too, with the latter building a body of work that won’t have gone unnoticed by new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt over the opening few rounds.
Early on and it looked like it could be another one-way trans-Tasman battle.
But just like the Waratahs’ win over the Crusaders last week, the Reds responded well after Josh Ioane’s early try for the Chiefs in the 12th minute when Faessler got on the end of another rolling maul.
A stunning try less than ten minutes later put the Reds in front, as McDermott spotted an overlap down the short side and after some lovely hands from McReight to an improving Suliasi Vunivalu, the No.7 managed to score under the posts after some slick passing in field from the winger to Wilson.
Consecutive penalties to McKenzie saw the Chiefs cut the score to a point, before the Reds managed to get a penalty of their own to take a 15-11 lead into half-time.
A well taken try to Shaun Stevenson saw the Chiefs re-take the lead, but McKenzie’s second conversion to hit the post hurt.
McLaughlin-Phillips was introduced when Tom Lynagh departed soon after Samipeni Finau whacked the little fly-half late. O’Keeffe awarded the Reds a penalty for the late tackle, but it wasn’t deemed to meet the yellow card threshold.
Another penalty gave the home side some breathing space, before Flook scored minutes later after McLaughlin-Phillips’ grubber sat up perfectly for Mac Grealy to storm onto and find his midfield teammate.
The Chiefs had countless opportunities and all the territory and possession to pinch the game at the death, but the Reds’ grit and determination saw them seal a phenomenal win that will do much for the confidence in Australian rugby.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.