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Reds 22
Cheetahs 3
Queensland warmed up for their highly anticipated Super 14 grudge match against New South Wales with a dominant victory over the Cheetahs at Suncorp Stadium last night.
The Reds sealed their first win of the season with a three-tries-to-nil triumph but they should have reaped far more points on a hot and humid Brisbane day as their high-risk attacking game torched the struggling South Africans.
Cheetahs skipper Juan Smith did not mince words after the loss, his team's 17th on the trot in Australasia: "There's only one way to describe it, shocking from us."
Reds counterpart Berrick Barnes was also disappointed, frustrated by a host of bombed tries.
"We killed ourselves in the first half in terms of that bonus point by not taking our opportunities," he said.
But the win will ensure the competition's newest entertainers head into their biggest match of the year, against the unbeaten Waratahs in Sydney on Friday, with some momentum.
The Reds led 15-3 after a 55m Digby Ioane try in the 48th minute for a four-try bonus point to be looking likely but their own poor finishing and a controversial disallowed try took the wind out of their sails.
The Reds scored a third five-pointer when lock Van Humphries scooted clear and sent Peter Hynes over.
Despite 65 per cent of possession, 77 per cent of territory and four line breaks, the Reds held only a 7-3 lead at the break, and were lucky to have that as Cheetahs No 8 Frans Viljoen dropped the ball on the line in the last play of the half.
The only other occasion the visitors made it near the Reds' quarter, radar-boot Jaques-Louis Potgeiter slotted a sixth-minute penalty for a 3-0 advantage.
Playmakers Cooper and Barnes pulled the strings dangerously but the home side failed to capitalise on the helter-skelter style due to poor handling.
- AAP
