Reds score first Super 12 win of the season

The Queensland Reds, despite the absence of a few key players, scored their first victory in the 2005 Super 12 rugby competition with a 20-6 win over the Chiefs in Hamilton tonight.

They played a smarter game than the homeside, who looked stronger in the forwards early in the match but suffered later because of a high error rate.

Despite missing their injured captain and playmaker Elton Flatley (injured) and blindside flanker Daniel Heenan (suspended), the Reds bounced back from last week's pummelling by the Crusaders to score their first win in four games.

Winger Drew Mitchell and prop Greg Holmes scored a try each and efficient first five-eighth Julian Huxley kicked two conversions and two penalties.

David Hill kicked two penalties for the Chiefs.


While the Reds shot up the table from their 11th spot in the points' table, the Chiefs plunged back to add a third loss from four games.


The Chiefs' woes stemmed from their own deficiencies. Their kicking was woeful and at times the timing was so poor that their own defence were put under immense pressure.


Hill was guilty of kicking from good attacking situations on three occasions at least.


Flanker Sione Lauaki lost the ball in tackles three times -- once when he had two players outside on the attacking 22 and not a Reds player in sight.


Players with ball in hand tended to isolate themselves on attack and lose possession in the face of a gritty Reds' defence.


The Reds, after absorbing a lot of early pressure, including back-pedalling about 20m while trying to defend a rolling maul, scored twice in the second quarter.


Mitchell won the race to touch down after Huxley stabbed a kick through the defence. The attack had resulted from a crooked throw into the lineout by the Chiefs. Halfback Josh Valentine broke through the defence from the ensuing scrum and set up a quick second phase from which the Reds attacked the left side of the field. Huxley smartly joined in and drilled his kick through a hole for Mitchell to score.


The Chiefs folded again 12 minutes later from the mounting pressure caused by the Reds variations on attack. Huxley kicked effectively and at other times Chris Latham, Wendell Sailor and Valentine often broke the first line of defence and forced the Chiefs on the backfoot.


Holmes drove low and hard close to the line for their second try after some quick ball from two phases took play close to the Chiefs' goal line.


Huxley converted the try and kicked a penalty for the Reds' 17-6 lead at halftime.


The Chiefs brought on All Blacks halfback Byron Kelleher and powerful midfield back Keith Lowen without much success. A lot of their promising moves were muffed by poor ball retention in the tackle.


Lowen skidded towards the post in a tackle in the 76th minute after a strong run but was ruled to have been held up by the video referee.


Huxley scored the only second-half points, from a penalty kick.


Reds 20 (Drew Mitchell, Greg Holmes tries; Julian Huxley 2 pen 2 con)

Chiefs 6 (David Hill 2 pen). Halftime: 17-6.

- NZPA