An 80th minute matchwinner from Filipo Daugunu snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as the Queensland Reds emerged 28-24 victors from a drama-filled Super Rugby Pacific thriller at HBF Park.
Key moments:
15′ – Carlo Tizzano crashes over for first try after sustained pressure (Force 7-0)
20′ – Darcy Swain scores after brilliant Grealy-Pietsch combination (Force 14-0)
23′ – Josh Flook scores from McDermott grubber after Daugunu break (Force 14-7)
25′ – Tom Lynagh crosses to level scores after Uru linebreak (14-14)
30′ – Ben Donaldson penalty goal extends perfect kicking record (Force 17-14 HT)
43′ – Heremaia Murray breaks multiple tackles to set up Flook’s second try (Reds 21-17)
61′ – Force denied by Blyth’s try-saving tackle on Sam Carter
69′ – Tizzano scores his second after Dylan Pietsch turnover (Force 24-21)
79′ – Swain concedes crucial penalty for high hit on McLaughlin-Phillips
80′ – Filipo Daugunu scores from ruck base after Reds turn down penalty (Reds 28-24)
The Force rocketed out of the blocks on home soil with two quickfire tries, held a half-time lead and looked home for all love and money with two minutes remaining and a 24-21 lead in front of 7,377 fans in Perth on Saturday night.
But the Reds had other ideas, turning down a late penalty goal attempt that would have levelled the scores. Acting captain Fraser McReight made the brave call: “Just had a thought ‘I want to go for the win’. Backed our maul. Backed our A-zone success.”
The gamble paid off spectacularly. Queensland secured the lineout, Kalani Thomas made a half break, and Daugunu seized the moment, crashing over from the ruck base with just 40 seconds remaining to break Force hearts.
The Western Australian side was aiming to post three straight wins to start a season for the first time in their 20-year history but instead were left to rue what might have been after Tizzano and Swain crossed inside the opening 20 minutes for an early 14-0 lead.
The Force began with concerted pressure and territory, forcing the Reds into multiple infringements. Referee Nic Berry threatened the visitors with a yellow card after three offside penalties, and although hooker Nic Dolly was initially denied over the line, the pressure finally told when flanker Tizzano burst through from the ruck base in the 16th minute.
The Force doubled their advantage just four minutes later with a sparkling backline move that showcased their attacking capabilities. Space was carved by Ben Donaldson’s delayed pass that unlocked a lovely one-two between Mac Grealy and Dylan Pietsch. The duo tag-teamed to within a foot of the left corner post before Swain backed up with the tough carry over the line.
Donaldson’s conversion continued his perfect start to the season – 15 from 15 attempts.
A superb individual performance from Reds halfback Tate McDermott inspired the comeback. McDermott’s sniping, short passing and running into space were all on point as he orchestrated quickfire tries to keep Queensland in the contest.
The Reds’ first try came in the 23rd minute when McDermott, after some good lead-up work by Daugunu, spotted space behind the defensive line and dabbed a perfectly weighted left-foot grubber through for Flook to score in the corner.
Queensland were level just two minutes later as McDermott turned a short inside ball to Seru Uru on the edge of a ruck, sending the backrower charging through the defensive line. Lock Ryan Smith provided the link pass for Lynagh to cross under the posts, silencing the home crowd after the Reds had scored twice in the space of three minutes.
A Ben Donaldson penalty goal put the Force ahead 17-14 at the break, with the hosts enjoying 64 per cent territory and 55 per cent possession in the first half.
The Reds took the lead for the first time just three minutes after the restart, with a counter-attack from deep in their own half. Kiwi fullback Heremaia Murray, who had endured a difficult first half that included dropping a certain try-scoring pass from McDermott, made amends with a powerful break, shredding through three separate Force tackles in a 65-metre movement. The fullback found McDermott in support, who delivered the final pass to Flook for his second try. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, on for Lynagh at halftime, converted for a 21-17 lead.
The match then entered an attritional phase with both sides making substitutions and fighting for territory. The Force came agonisingly close to retaking the lead when lock Sam Carter surged for the line, only to be denied by a desperate try-saving tackle from Angus Blyth, who held the ball up over the chalk.
The home side continued to dominate possession and territory, with 18 phases near the Reds’ line before a knock-on cruelled their assault. However, their persistence finally paid off in the 69th minute when a turnover from Dylan Pietsch inspired a march downfield. Force flanker Tizzano, who has started the season in brilliant form, crashed over two phases following a maul from seven metres out for his second try. Donaldson’s conversion put the Force 24-21 ahead.
The “Sea of Blue” seemed to have all the momentum when Reds replacement prop George Blake gave away a “brainless” 72nd minute penalty for shoulder charging Max Burey. With just three minutes remaining, the Force looked set to secure victory.
Yet there was to be a final twist in this tale as Darcy Swain caught McLaughlin-Phillips high in a crucial 79th minute penalty. The Reds, with just 90 seconds on the clock, opted against taking the three points that would have levelled the scores and instead kicked for touch.
Centre Dre Pakeho’s nerveless 30-metre left-foot kick found touch just nine metres out from the Force line. The lineout was won by comeback man Liam Wright, making his first appearance in nearly eight months after overcoming a shoulder injury. A scurry by replacement halfback Kalani Thomas put the Reds on the front foot and the alert Daugunu, who had earlier passed a HIA after leaving the field temporarily, zeroed in with a quick pick-and-go off the ruck to score the match-winning try.
Wright later reflected: “We trust in our game plan. We know we can just make things happen. Obviously, we have to get better in controlling errors but if we get ourselves at the right end of the field I think there is always a way to find a score. I’m really proud of our team.”
Force coach Simon Cron was left to rue his team’s game management in the closing stages: “Bitterly disappointing. We need to be better there. We were in a great position to seal that game and we just didn’t do it. We started kicking to the middle of the field, chipping the ball away, just a little bit of panic there rather than staying composed.”
Throughout the match, stout Reds defence had repelled numerous Force surges in their own quarter. The visitors’ bench proved vital to the result, with prop Massimo De Lutiis, flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Tim Ryan and Thomas all producing key plays when introduced.
The result means Queensland have started the season with a perfect 2-0 record, while the Force drop to 2-1 with a bonus point for the narrow defeat. Queensland’s Josh Flook and Force flanker Carlo Tizzano both emerged with doubles – Tizzano taking individual honours over Fraser McReight – while rival wingers Daugunu and Pietsch were imperious throughout the contest.
Reds coach Les Kiss praised his team’s never-say-die attitude: “We’re never beaten and he [McDermott] just finds a way to find us our way back into the game.”
The Reds now head to Christchurch to face the Crusaders next weekend, while the Force travel to Sydney to take on the Waratahs, both looking to rebound from a contest that will be remembered as one of the most thrilling finishes of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
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