A gallant Queensland Reds side has fallen 27-25 to the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium in Round 11 of Super Rugby Pacific.
The sides were locked 13-all at the half-time break, before the Chiefs charged to a 27-20 lead courtesy of multiple yellow cards to the hosts.
A Josh Flook try brought the Reds within two-points with minutes to play, but the New Zealanders held on to claim a two-point win with Queensland securing a bonus-point loss.
The teams traded penalties in the opening half hour of play, Lawson Creighton and Bryn Gatland kicking two apiece to lock the scores at 6-all.
Harry Wilson had the first try of the game in the 31st minute, the number-eight burrowing his way through a mess of Chiefs defenders to score on the back of dominant Queensland scrum in the previous phases. Creighton converted to open up a 13-6 lead for the hosts.
A Cortez Ratima try six-minutes after the siren evened the ledger again at the half-time break, the Chiefs defying a passage of dogged Reds defence to score their first try of the night.
Samisoni Taukei'aho crossed early in the second stanza for the visiting side, with Harry Wilson shown a yellow card in the same sequence to reduce Queensland to 14-men.
Despite their disadvantage it was Queensland who were next to score, skipper Tate McDermott scooping up a loose ball and charging 40-metres downfield before linking with Josh Flook on his outside who found the line close to the right-hand corner. Creighton missed the tough conversion attempt to make the score 20-18 to the Chiefs.
Jock Campbell was yellow-carded in the 62nd minute for a deliberate knock down and the Chiefs quickly capitalised with a try to Pita Sowakula.
A red card to Samipeni Finau saw the Chiefs reduced to 14-men for the final four-minutes of play, giving Hunter Paisami the opportunity to slice through the visitor’s defence for Queensland’s third try of the night. Creighton’s conversion put the Reds within touching distance at 27-25 with just three-minutes remaining.
Queensland were unable to steal an unlikely win in the dying minutes, the visitors holding on for their seventh win of the season.
The Reds are back at home at Suncorp Stadium next Friday 6 May when they take on the Highlanders. Tickets are available via reds.rugby.
Queensland Reds 25
Tries: Wilson, Flook, Paisami
Conversions: Creighton 2
Penalties: Creighton 2
Chiefs 27
Tries: Ratima, Taukei'aho, Sowakula
Conversions: Gatland 3
Penalties: Gatland 2
