Has a Queensland masterclass all but sealed the great Wallabies’ coaching debate?
Few talking points have drawn as much attention as who will succeed Joe Schmidt at the national helm, but his former assistant at Ireland in Reds coach Les Kiss has been front and centre of speculation.
And after his troops produced their most complete performance of the season to triumph 35-15 against the previously undefeated Waratahs, he will undoubtedly remain a favourite.
Fraser McReight makes a run for it.Credit: Getty Images
Despite an early try to Triston Reilly, it was the New South Wales defence which appeared Queensland’s biggest adversary in the opening 20 minutes, only for Andrew Kellaway’s yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Harry Wilson to prove the momentum shifter.
Reds fullback Heremaia Murray’s kick and chase for himself burst the New South Wales bubble. But from there, it was a return to basics – precision at the set piece, grit at the breakdown, and resilience and structure in their goal line defence.
Signs of enterprise remained, some slick hands down the blindside unleashing Fraser McReight, and that balance of patience upfront and running rugby is part of the Kiss appeal.
He backs his players to trust their instincts, and it is telling the likes of McReight, Wilson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Matt Faessler shunned overseas opportunities to remain at Ballymore.
A heavy defeat to the Crusaders last week was a blemish, however Kiss led the Reds to three wins against New Zealand outfits for the first time in more than a decade in 2024.
“They pushed us off kilter a little bit, but I was really proud of the way we worked our way back into our rhythm, mixed our game up a little bit and then once we spent some time in their 22 we got the rewards.”
Les Kiss
Uru stands out as injuries mar triumph
It is difficult for Seru Uru to stand out in a back row led by Wallabies superstars McReight and Wilson – both of whom were try scorers on Saturday night and will be staple inclusions for the British and Irish Lions tour this year.
Seru Uru scores against the Melbourne Rebels.Credit: Getty
But the 28-year-old was arguably one of the best on ground, combining brutality with sheer skill.
From a clutch one-on-one strip as the Waratahs threatened to burst away, to an around-the-back flick pass for Tim Ryan followed by a break of his own courtesy of some great support play, Uru proved the everywhere man.
His deft pass was crucial in allowing Lachie Anderson to put McReight away for his try, while his 39 metres gained were bettered only by fullbacks Murray and Kellaway, McReight and winger Max Jorgensen.
If he continues to produce efforts like this he would be a remarkably unlucky man to not add to his two Test caps this year.
“We’ve got to recognise all our back row, they’re very good at that mix between the tight and loose, and I thought he did some really good things in the loose and tight when he needed to.”
Les Kiss on Seru Uru
The sight of McReight in an arm sling after leaving the field in the 49th minute raised some alarm bells, with Kiss confirming it was an AC joint issue in the shoulder he did not believe would be “anything sinister”.
Faessler was also taken off in the first half after he “felt something around the high leg area”, with the club unsure on its severity.
McKellar sees red
It felt like a case of déjà vu for Waratahs coach Dan McKellar as he watched his side’s promising start fall to the wayside.
“It’s not the first time I’ve come here and dominated the first 20 minutes and not capitalised on it.”
Dan McKellar
After the Kellaway yellow card, gone was the brutal defence and frantic scramble that had kept the Reds at bay.
But it was Richie Asiata’s 22-metre rolling maul try which drew the most ire from McKellar, labelled “borderline embarrassing”.
“It’s hard to stop a rolling maul when you stand there watching it,” he quipped.
The Waratahs were missing several key figures, halfback Jake Gordon’s absence telling as wild attempted cutout passes and hurried kicks made their attack “chaotic”.
But McKellar refused to use the absences as an excuse.
“Absolutely no excuse, we had full confidence in the group that came here. They trained really well, prepared well, and did some good things within patches,” McKellar said.
“But patches don’t beat quality teams. After the yellow card we sort of fell off a cliff, just some really soft moments that are not good enough – it’s as simple as that.”
Lynagh ‘forging himself a new name’
Having missed the Crusaders defeat last week, Tom Lynagh rose to the occasion of Australia’s greatest rugby rivalry.
While his kicking game lacked penetration in the opening 10 minutes, the 21-year-old was quick to rebound – pinning the Waratahs deep in their own end and drying them of chances to strike.
The five-eighth, and son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, continued to show his evolution running the ball, while he made all 11 of his tackles stick and nailed his five conversion attempts.
It was a performance Kiss said would prove important in developing “his composure under pressure”, while Reds captain Tate McDermott believed it would be defining as he sought to add to his four Wallabies’ caps.
“He’s gone from being an IPad kid to the general of this team. That exposure in Joe Schmidt’s environment was huge for him just to realise he’s got so much in front of him,” McDermott said.
“It’s obviously tough for him to live up to his dad, and that’s the battle he faces every day – people want to talk to him just because of who his old man was.
“He’s forging himself a new name, and it’s not going to happen overnight, but he’s grinding away and taking the team to places.”
