The Queensland Reds completed a first season-derby double over the ACT Brumbies to surge into the Super Rugby Pacific top four, grinding out a spirited 30–21 victory at Suncorp Stadium on a greasy Saturday night in Brisbane. Three successful penalty goals proved the difference as the Reds consigned Stephen Larkham’s side to a third consecutive defeat for the first time since 2018.
Key moments
4′ – TRY BRUMBIES: Andy Muirhead’s 50–22 gave the Brumbies instant field position. After sustained pressure near the line, Ryan Lonergan tapped quickly from a penalty and Lachlan Shaw burrowed over from close range for his fourth of the season. Lonergan converted. (Reds 0–7 Brumbies)
7′ – TRY REDS: The Reds responded immediately after winning a penalty from the restart. They kicked to the corner and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto crashed over off a short ball, powering through multiple defenders with a low, driving charge. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips converted. (Reds 7–7 Brumbies)
25′ – PENALTY REDS: McLaughlin-Phillips slotted a penalty from 30 metres after Fraser McReight won his second turnover penalty of the match. (Reds 10–7 Brumbies)
39′ – TRY REDS: With the Reds camped on the Brumbies line under penalty advantage, halfback Kalani Thomas dropped a clever grubber in behind and Josh Flook won the race to the ball, plucking the wet ball from head height in full stride and slamming it down just inside the dead-ball line. McLaughlin-Phillips converted. (Reds 17–7 Brumbies)
Half-time: Reds 17–7 Brumbies. A physical, rain-affected contest dominated by kicking and the breakdown battle. McReight outstanding with two turnovers; Salakaia-Loto immense in the collisions. The Brumbies struck first but faded as the Reds built territorial control. McLaughlin-Phillips and Joe Brial both made long breaks without finding the finish earlier in the half.
42′ – PENALTY REDS: McLaughlin-Phillips added three more after Lonergan was caught offside. The Reds’ fourth penalty goal of the season — all four against the Brumbies. (Reds 20–7 Brumbies)
45′ – TRY BRUMBIES: Harry Wilson knocked on from the kick-off, giving the Brumbies a scrum 20 metres out. After David Feliuai made a strong burst, Rob Valetini powered over from close range. Lonergan converted. (Reds 20–14 Brumbies)
54′ – TRY BRUMBIES: The Brumbies took the lead for the first time since the opening minutes. After sustained pressure, Feliuai started the move with a surging run and then finished it, burrowing over under the posts. Lonergan converted. (Reds 20–21 Brumbies)
60′ – TRY REDS: Zane Nonggorr won a crucial turnover to set up field position. After a penalty for offside against Cadeyrn Neville, the Reds tapped and drove, with Seru Uru picking and going at pace and getting help from his forwards to crash over. McLaughlin-Phillips converted to restore the lead. (Reds 27–21 Brumbies)
67′ – PENALTY REDS: Ben Volavola slotted a penalty with his first touch after replacing McLaughlin-Phillips, following a dominant Reds scrum that forced the Brumbies to collapse 30 metres out. (Reds 30–21 Brumbies)
78′ – MISSED PENALTY BRUMBIES: Tane Edmed’s long-range attempt from halfway drifted left and went dead, ending the Brumbies’ hopes of a late charge. (Reds 30–21 Brumbies)
Full-time: Reds 30–21 Brumbies
Match report
There was a time when the Reds would have turned their noses up at three penalty goals in a match. They have been dogged trailblazers in recent seasons for spurning shots at goal to chase tries instead, backing their attacking instincts even when the scoreboard suggested otherwise. On a wet and willing Saturday night at Suncorp, Les Kiss’s side showed the pragmatism that has been the missing ingredient, and it delivered them a result that transforms their season.
The significance of the three penalties — all the Reds’ penalty goals this season have come against the Brumbies — was not lost on captain Fraser McReight, who made the calls to point at the posts each time. McReight’s reasoning was straightforward: in greasy conditions and with the breakdown producing a stream of infringements, the points were there to be banked. McLaughlin-Phillips and Volavola were flawless from the tee, converting all six attempts between them, and the nine points from penalties proved the exact margin of victory.
It was a seesawing contest that swung through five lead changes and never felt settled until Volavola’s penalty with 13 minutes remaining gave the Reds a two-score cushion. The Brumbies struck first through Shaw, who burrowed over from a quick tap after Muirhead’s 50–22 had given the visitors instant field position in the opening minutes. Salakaia-Loto’s thundering response three minutes later — a low, powerful charge off a short ball that left multiple defenders clutching at air — set the tone for an immense personal display from the lock, who played the full 80 minutes and was named the standout performer on both broadcasts.
The first half was an arm wrestle shaped by the boot and the breakdown. McReight was at his disruptive best, winning two turnovers that directly led to penalties, while Salakaia-Loto and Wilson dominated the collision zone through the middle. McLaughlin-Phillips and Brial both made surging breaks that deserved tries but could not find the finish — former Red James Slipper turning back the clock to get over the ball after McLaughlin-Phillips’ break, while Brial was penalised for not releasing after being hauled down by Corey Toole having sprinted 50 metres.
The half’s decisive moment came on the stroke of the break. With the Reds camped on the Brumbies’ line under a penalty advantage, Thomas picked up a cue from Flook and dabbed a grubber through from the ruck base. Flook dashed through, plucked the wet ball from head height at full pace and got it down just inside the dead-ball line. It was the try of the match in conditions that made handling a lottery, and it gave the Reds a 17–7 buffer that proved vital given what followed.
The second half briefly threatened to become a Brumbies comeback story. Wilson’s knock-on from the kick-off handed them a scrum 20 metres out, and Valetini needed no second invitation, rumbling low and powering through for a try that reduced the deficit. When Feliuai — who had been the Brumbies’ most dangerous ball carrier all night — started and finished a surging passage to cross under the posts, the visitors held a 21–20 lead with 26 minutes to play.
Lesser sides might have wilted. The Reds, to their credit, found another gear. Nonggorr’s turnover gave them field position, Neville was caught offside from the resulting pressure, and Uru picked from the quick tap and drove over with the help of his pack to restore the lead. It was the kind of composed, physical response that Kiss will have demanded, and Uru’s try proved the decisive blow.
Daugunu’s defence in the closing stages was outstanding, driving three Brumbies ball carriers into touch as the visitors searched for a way back. McReight added his third turnover of the evening, and when Edmed’s penalty from halfway drifted left and went dead in goal, the Reds could exhale.
The result lifts the Reds above both the Brumbies and the Crusaders into fourth place on 27 points with a 6–4 record, and claims the Rod Macqueen Cup for the first time since 2022. Only the 2012 and 2021 Reds had previously managed back-to-back wins over the Brumbies in the same season since the trophy was introduced in 2005.
For the Brumbies, the slide is alarming. Six defeats from their last eight matches has left Larkham’s side clinging to sixth spot on 25 points, four weeks out from the finals. Tom Wright’s milestone 100th Super Rugby match deserved a better outcome, though the fullback delivered a composed display in just his third game back from an ACL injury. Valetini never stopped charging, but the Brumbies’ inability to close out the contest when they held the lead will trouble their coaching staff heading into next week’s home match against the Force.
Match details
Reds 30 (Tries: Salakaia-Loto 7′, Flook 39′, Uru 60′; Conversions: McLaughlin-Phillips 3/3; Penalties: McLaughlin-Phillips 2/2, Volavola 1/1)
Brumbies 21 (Tries: Shaw 4′, Valetini 45′, Feliuai 54′; Conversions: R. Lonergan 3/3)
Half-time: 17–7
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Todd Petrie, Warwick Lahmert
TMO: Richard Kelly
Teams
Reds: 15 Jock Campbell, 14 Filipo Daugunu, 13 Josh Flook, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Tim Ryan, 10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, 9 Kalani Thomas, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight (c), 6 Joe Brial, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Seru Uru, 3 Zane Nonggorr, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Nick Bloomfield, 19 Hamish Muller, 20 Vaiuta Latu, 21 Louis Werchon, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Treyvon Pritchard.
Brumbies: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andy Muirhead, 13 Kadin Pritchard, 12 David Feliuai, 11 Corey Toole, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan (c), 8 Toby Macpherson, 7 Rory Scott, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Lachlan Shaw, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Rhys van Nek, 2 Lachlan Lonergan, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Liam Bowron, 17 Blake Schoupp, 18 Darcy Breen, 19 Cadeyrn Neville, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Klayton Thorn, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Ollie Sapsford.
What’s next
The Reds head to Hamilton to face the Chiefs next weekend. The Brumbies return home to GIO Stadium to host the Western Force on Saturday.
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