The Queensland Reds have fallen 27-15 to the Chiefs in a downpour in Hamilton tonight in their top-of-the-table clash.
The sides were locked 10-all at half-time and the match stayed in the balance at 13-10 until the 70th minute in a gripping contest in SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific.
It was three tries apiece with the five-from-five goalkicking of All Blacks flyhalf Damian McKenzie proving the difference on the scoreboard.
The leading sides on each side of the Tasman showed again why Super Rugby has taken a leap forward in 2025 with both having periods of dominance. The Chiefs now sit atop the table.
"I'm really proud of the boys. We were definitely in the hunt at a tough place to play against a team in sublime form," Reds head coach Les Kiss said.
"We didn't shirk that battle and there was only three points in it with 10 minutes to go. Some of the defence was brilliant and parts of our game really stood up for us. Fair play to the Chiefs, they managed the final 15 minutes with possession and position."
Flanker Joe Brial, who chased his own kick ahead 35m for a try and saved another on the line with a tackle, was a standout for the Reds.
Halfback Tate McDermott, No.8 Harry Wilson, winger Filipo Daugunu and lineout leader Josh Canham were others to excel on a night which left all players drenched.
The Reds clawed back 7-0 and 10-5 deficits in the first half to equalise at 10-all right on half-time.
When Daugunu contested his own up-and-under, Chiefs playmaker McKenzie spilt the kick. The loose ball was toed ahead by alert flanker Brial who sprinted to dot down in a diving slide. The 10-all equaliser sent the visitors to the half-time break with a lift.
It was the fourth high kick spilt in the first half by the Chiefs as the Reds mixed up their game with the boot being used successfully.
The Reds had found themselves down 7-0 in just the third minute when Chiefs flanker and captain Luke Jacobson twisted over for a try.
The strikeback midway through the first half came when McDermott chose to back his forwards with a kick to a 5m lineout rather then take a gift three points from a penalty in front of the posts.
Canham’s lineout catch was clean and the advancing driving maul gave hooker Matt Faessler the platform to spear over for a try. A McDermott dart shortly after found Canham in support but the Chiefs saved the situation deep in their territory.
The Reds defence was again superb. Twice they held up the Chiefs over the tryline and fullback Heremaia Murray saved on another occasion with a fine cover tackle on McKenzie in the corner.
Daugunu’s physical play was a positive.
When prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen was sinbinned for a cleanout early in the second half, the Reds dominated the 10 minutes that followed with 14 men.
They stole a lineout, earned a scrum penalty with seven forwards, had a rolling maul stalled from 5m out and might have gone ahead but for a superb, veering Harry McLaughlin-Phillips run coming up just short.
The ball squeezed loose on the sodden turf just before the tryline when the diving flyhalf was tackled.
A Chiefs rolling maul try at the 70-minute mark finally turned 13-10 into 20-10. Another close range effort in the final 10 minutes gave the Chiefs their buffer before the brave Reds posted a final try on full-time.
The non-stop Wilson, already with 15 ball-carries to his name, dabbed a left-footed grubber ahead for Tom Lynagh to score.
The Reds will fly home to face the ACT Brumbies in one of 2025’s feature derbies at Suncorp Stadium on April 12.
CHIEFS 27
Tries: Luke Jacobson, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Zavier Roe
Conversions: Damian McKenzie 3
Penalty Goals: Damian McKenzie 2
Defeated
QUEENSLAND REDS 15
Tries: Matt Faessler, Joe Brial, Tom Lynagh
Half-time: 10-all
Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
