The Queensland Reds beat the Waikato Chiefs 20-6 in Super 12 rugby on Friday, snapping a three-game losing streak and winning their first match in New Zealand since 1999.
Winger Drew Mitchell and prop Greg Holmes scored first-half tries, while Julian Huxley kicked two conversions and two penalties for Queensland in the only Super 12 match on Friday.
Queensland turned the game in an eight-minute spell late in the first half when Mitchell and Holmes scored, turning a 6-0 deficit into a 14-6 lead.
Huxley, whose four successes came from six shots at goal, added penalties on either side of halftime to complete the Reds’ scoring.
The Reds led 17-6 at half-time, 20-6 after 11 minutes of the second half, and then defended superbly, holding the Chiefs scoreless for more than 68 minutes.
Queensland was led by Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe, who took over the captaincy from the injured Elton Flatley.
”It was a big night for us,” Sharpe said. ”Obviously, we came here with no wins from three games and we haven’t won in New Zealand since 1999, so it’s a pretty big landmark for us. The defence was fantastic.”
Chiefs flyhalf David Hill kicked penalties in the seventh and 12th minutes — two successes from his only three shots at goal — to give his team an early 6-0 lead.
Waikato dominated territorially through most of the first quarter, denying Queensland possession, but the Reds took a try from one of their first ventures into Chiefs territory.
Halfback Josh Valentine made one of several sniping runs from the base of a scrum, set up a ruck and Queensland moved the ball wide where Huxley kicked for Mitchell’s wing. The former fullback outflanked the defence to score near the deadball line.
Eight minutes later, Holmes, a virtual unknown at the start of the season, scored his second try in successive games, dashing on to a pass from Valentine and crashing through the goal-line defense.
The Reds then snuffed out any threatening movements from Waikato, although they were aided by the Chiefs’ inefficiency at lineouts and their lack of backline combination.
”We were just flat tonight,” said Chiefs captain Jono Gibbes. ”We talked about them being a desperate side. We talked about being efficient, about the importance of winning this one, but we didn’t do it.”
In matches on Saturday, Wellington hosts the Bulls, Auckland play at home to Canterbury and first-place New South Wales will try to win their fourth straight match with bonus points when they hosts the Stormers at Sydney.
In South Africa, the Cats host the defending-champion ACT Brumbies at Johannesburg and the Sharks play New Zealand side Otago at Durban to conclude the fourth round.
New South Wales will be without forward Justin Harrison, who voluntarily stood down from the team after admitting he racially abused a South African player last weekend. On Friday, it was announced that a Super 12 judiciary hearing will be held on Sunday into Harrison’s case.
Harrison made the racially offensive remarks to Cats winger Chumani Booi, who is black, during New South Wales’ 40-19 win at Johannesburg last week. — Sapa-AP