Hurricanes hoodoo bites Reds in costly Super loss
The Queensland Reds have coughed up fourth spot to the Hurricanes, who extended their winning streak to 10 games and 12 years in a 31-27 Super Rugby Pacific battle in Brisbane.
Hurricanes backrower Du'Plessis Kirifi was immovable at the breakdown, helping the Reds slide to a 2-4 record from their past six games after leading the competition less than two months ago.
It was the Hurricanes' 10th consecutive win against the Reds since 2013.
Victory jumped them from fifth, shunting Les Kiss's side out of the top four by one point ahead of the new six-team finals format.
Fourth place is significant, given the highest-placed loser after week one of the finals will still go through to the semi-final.
The Reds at least collected a bonus point in the loss, but will need to beat Fijian Drua in Brisbane next week and have other results go their way to regain a top-four berth.
Hurricanes No.10 Ruben Love scored in the first minute when a deflected grubber fell into his path, only for the Reds to reply through Tate McDermott two minutes later.
Proctor ? FineanganofoTextbook try from the @hurricanes #SuperRugbyPacific #REDvHUR pic.twitter.com/bT4FKcWWYw? Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) May 23, 2025
A pair of successful Tom Lynagh penalty kicks - incredibly the first attempted by the Reds all season - looked to have steadied the hosts.
But three tries in 10 minutes gave the Hurricanes an 11-point buffer at the break, including halfback Cam Roigard chipping and regathering for a brilliant solo effort.
The Reds came out of the gates well, with Jock Campbell busting through to set up McDermott's second try and make it a six-point game.
Queensland then went ahead by one after going 20 phases off their own try-line for a brilliant try, finished when Joe Brial carried three men over the line.
But knock-ons from Harry Wilson and Hunter Paisami, the latter with two men free on his outside shoulder, proved costly.
Fehi Fineanganofo planted his second try of the game as the visitors reclaimed a four-point lead with 15 minutes to play.
Kirifi came to the fore, disrupting another surging Reds charge when he won a penalty at the breakdown to kill of Queensland's last-gasp effort.
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The Advertiser
19 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Wallabies' preparation for Lions the priority: Larkham
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham is taking a country before club approach to selection for the British and Irish Lions, but is hopeful some Wallabies will return for the ACT clash. After arriving in Perth for their opening tour match against the Western Force on Saturday, Lions boss Ben Calveley claimed Rugby Australia was in danger of breaching the tour agreement if they didn't release their best Wallabies to the state teams the tourists will face. This was brushed off by RA with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt already freeing five Force players from his 36-strong squad, while on Wednesday hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami were given the green light to turn out for their Queensland side. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (shoulder) and Seru Uru (knee) have also both been cleared to play for the Reds against the Lions next Wednesday and push their case to return to the Wallabies squad. Larkham, who was part of the triumphant 2001 Australian campaign, said he understood a Wallabies series win was the priority for the country. "Knowing that the Wallabies have to get their preparation right going into that first game - they've got a game against Fiji on Sunday and we play on the Wednesday," said the former great. "And then 10 days later the Wallabies play their first Test against British and Irish Lions, so if some of our players aren't playing for us in preparation for that first Test it's certainly understandable." Bowing out in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals earlier this month, the Brumbies have a proud record against the Lions - in 2013 they became the first provincial side to post a victory on Australian soil in more than 40 years. Larkham said they had shown vision of that win to the current crop and excitement, and pressure, was building ahead of the July 9 match in Canberra. He said conversations were continuing about players who weren't going to be used in the first Test in Brisbane on July 19 returning to bolster the Brumbies. "We're short in a couple of positions and we are reliant on some of those Wallabies coming back in," he said, with the Brumbies providing 10 squad members and four training partners, with young prop Lington Ieli also joining the camp. "Certainly those players who are training up there, we're reliant on those guys coming back into the squad to play and then hopefully a couple of Test players come back into our team to play in that game as well. "There's a couple of conversations that have to happen with Rugby Australia at the back end of this week when they'll know a little bit more around who they're going to select for the Fiji game. "Then we'll know who we're going to have available for our game against the Lions." Speaking from the Wallabies base in Sydney, Force flyhalf Ben Donaldson said he would happily play in Perth if released from the Test squad. "Oh yeah, I think so ... any chance you get to play against the Lions, you probably take it with both hands," Donaldson said. "I'm hearing it's going to be a huge crowd out at Optus (Stadium) in Perth so it would be extremely exciting, especially off the back of the year we had at the Force this year. "Even to play in front of the fans, just to give them something to cheer about to finish the year, it would have been awesome." Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham is taking a country before club approach to selection for the British and Irish Lions, but is hopeful some Wallabies will return for the ACT clash. After arriving in Perth for their opening tour match against the Western Force on Saturday, Lions boss Ben Calveley claimed Rugby Australia was in danger of breaching the tour agreement if they didn't release their best Wallabies to the state teams the tourists will face. This was brushed off by RA with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt already freeing five Force players from his 36-strong squad, while on Wednesday hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami were given the green light to turn out for their Queensland side. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (shoulder) and Seru Uru (knee) have also both been cleared to play for the Reds against the Lions next Wednesday and push their case to return to the Wallabies squad. Larkham, who was part of the triumphant 2001 Australian campaign, said he understood a Wallabies series win was the priority for the country. "Knowing that the Wallabies have to get their preparation right going into that first game - they've got a game against Fiji on Sunday and we play on the Wednesday," said the former great. "And then 10 days later the Wallabies play their first Test against British and Irish Lions, so if some of our players aren't playing for us in preparation for that first Test it's certainly understandable." Bowing out in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals earlier this month, the Brumbies have a proud record against the Lions - in 2013 they became the first provincial side to post a victory on Australian soil in more than 40 years. Larkham said they had shown vision of that win to the current crop and excitement, and pressure, was building ahead of the July 9 match in Canberra. He said conversations were continuing about players who weren't going to be used in the first Test in Brisbane on July 19 returning to bolster the Brumbies. "We're short in a couple of positions and we are reliant on some of those Wallabies coming back in," he said, with the Brumbies providing 10 squad members and four training partners, with young prop Lington Ieli also joining the camp. "Certainly those players who are training up there, we're reliant on those guys coming back into the squad to play and then hopefully a couple of Test players come back into our team to play in that game as well. "There's a couple of conversations that have to happen with Rugby Australia at the back end of this week when they'll know a little bit more around who they're going to select for the Fiji game. "Then we'll know who we're going to have available for our game against the Lions." Speaking from the Wallabies base in Sydney, Force flyhalf Ben Donaldson said he would happily play in Perth if released from the Test squad. "Oh yeah, I think so ... any chance you get to play against the Lions, you probably take it with both hands," Donaldson said. "I'm hearing it's going to be a huge crowd out at Optus (Stadium) in Perth so it would be extremely exciting, especially off the back of the year we had at the Force this year. "Even to play in front of the fans, just to give them something to cheer about to finish the year, it would have been awesome." Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham is taking a country before club approach to selection for the British and Irish Lions, but is hopeful some Wallabies will return for the ACT clash. After arriving in Perth for their opening tour match against the Western Force on Saturday, Lions boss Ben Calveley claimed Rugby Australia was in danger of breaching the tour agreement if they didn't release their best Wallabies to the state teams the tourists will face. This was brushed off by RA with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt already freeing five Force players from his 36-strong squad, while on Wednesday hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami were given the green light to turn out for their Queensland side. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (shoulder) and Seru Uru (knee) have also both been cleared to play for the Reds against the Lions next Wednesday and push their case to return to the Wallabies squad. Larkham, who was part of the triumphant 2001 Australian campaign, said he understood a Wallabies series win was the priority for the country. "Knowing that the Wallabies have to get their preparation right going into that first game - they've got a game against Fiji on Sunday and we play on the Wednesday," said the former great. "And then 10 days later the Wallabies play their first Test against British and Irish Lions, so if some of our players aren't playing for us in preparation for that first Test it's certainly understandable." Bowing out in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals earlier this month, the Brumbies have a proud record against the Lions - in 2013 they became the first provincial side to post a victory on Australian soil in more than 40 years. Larkham said they had shown vision of that win to the current crop and excitement, and pressure, was building ahead of the July 9 match in Canberra. He said conversations were continuing about players who weren't going to be used in the first Test in Brisbane on July 19 returning to bolster the Brumbies. "We're short in a couple of positions and we are reliant on some of those Wallabies coming back in," he said, with the Brumbies providing 10 squad members and four training partners, with young prop Lington Ieli also joining the camp. "Certainly those players who are training up there, we're reliant on those guys coming back into the squad to play and then hopefully a couple of Test players come back into our team to play in that game as well. "There's a couple of conversations that have to happen with Rugby Australia at the back end of this week when they'll know a little bit more around who they're going to select for the Fiji game. "Then we'll know who we're going to have available for our game against the Lions." Speaking from the Wallabies base in Sydney, Force flyhalf Ben Donaldson said he would happily play in Perth if released from the Test squad. "Oh yeah, I think so ... any chance you get to play against the Lions, you probably take it with both hands," Donaldson said. "I'm hearing it's going to be a huge crowd out at Optus (Stadium) in Perth so it would be extremely exciting, especially off the back of the year we had at the Force this year. "Even to play in front of the fans, just to give them something to cheer about to finish the year, it would have been awesome."
Perth Now
20 hours ago
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Wallabies' preparation for Lions the priority: Larkham
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham is taking a country before club approach to selection for the British and Irish Lions, but is hopeful some Wallabies will return for the ACT clash. After arriving in Perth for their opening tour match against the Western Force on Saturday, Lions boss Ben Calveley claimed Rugby Australia was in danger of breaching the tour agreement if they didn't release their best Wallabies to the state teams the tourists will face. This was brushed off by RA with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt already freeing five Force players from his 36-strong squad, while on Wednesday hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami were given the green light to turn out for their Queensland side. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (shoulder) and Seru Uru (knee) have also both been cleared to play for the Reds against the Lions next Wednesday and push their case to return to the Wallabies squad. Larkham, who was part of the triumphant 2001 Australian campaign, said he understood a Wallabies series win was the priority for the country. "Knowing that the Wallabies have to get their preparation right going into that first game - they've got a game against Fiji on Sunday and we play on the Wednesday," said the former great. "And then 10 days later the Wallabies play their first Test against British and Irish Lions, so if some of our players aren't playing for us in preparation for that first Test it's certainly understandable." Bowing out in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals earlier this month, the Brumbies have a proud record against the Lions - in 2013 they became the first provincial side to post a victory on Australian soil in more than 40 years. Larkham said they had shown vision of that win to the current crop and excitement, and pressure, was building ahead of the July 9 match in Canberra. He said conversations were continuing about players who weren't going to be used in the first Test in Brisbane on July 19 returning to bolster the Brumbies. "We're short in a couple of positions and we are reliant on some of those Wallabies coming back in," he said, with the Brumbies providing 10 squad members and four training partners, with young prop Lington Ieli also joining the camp. "Certainly those players who are training up there, we're reliant on those guys coming back into the squad to play and then hopefully a couple of Test players come back into our team to play in that game as well. "There's a couple of conversations that have to happen with Rugby Australia at the back end of this week when they'll know a little bit more around who they're going to select for the Fiji game. "Then we'll know who we're going to have available for our game against the Lions." Speaking from the Wallabies base in Sydney, Force flyhalf Ben Donaldson said he would happily play in Perth if released from the Test squad. "Oh yeah, I think so ... any chance you get to play against the Lions, you probably take it with both hands," Donaldson said. "I'm hearing it's going to be a huge crowd out at Optus (Stadium) in Perth so it would be extremely exciting, especially off the back of the year we had at the Force this year. "Even to play in front of the fans, just to give them something to cheer about to finish the year, it would have been awesome."
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
‘I know where I belong': Wounded Wallabies brace for Lions audition
There was a steely resolve in Lukhan Salakaia-Loto's voice when asked about his Wallabies prospects as he prepared to launch his injury comeback for the Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions. 'I'm not there to prove anything,' the 41-Test forward declared. 'I know where I belong.' A shoulder concern ultimately cost Salakaia-Loto the backend of his Super Rugby Pacific campaign, forced to watch as the Reds succumbed to eventual champions, the Crusaders, in their Qualifying Final clash in Christchurch. His lack of game time, having not taken the field since early May, appeared to cost him a place in coach Joe Schmidt's first Wallabies squad of the year to take on Fiji on Sunday. But the 28-year-old confirmed he had been given clearance to be available for selection when Queensland contest the Lions in Brisbane on July 2, declaring he had 'not a doubt at all' he would be fit to factor into Lions' calculations. Loading 'I know my body well enough to know if it's good or bad, or if I can push through, and I just knew I needed a bit of time on the sidelines to get my shoulder right,' Salakaia-Loto, who was named in 11 Tests last year, said. 'Funnily enough, I just got the green light, so it was pretty huge to get through the session – a big one at that. I know what I'm capable of, and I'm looking forward to showcasing that.' Salakaia-Loto will now rely on his form for the Reds, and past exploits for Australia, to force his way into the fold, after Will Skelton, Jeremy Williams, Tom Hooper and Darcy Swain – who led the Super Rugby season for lineout wins – were named as the lock contenders against Fiji.
