QR Qld Reds v Chiefs Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane 7:30pm - 24/3/2007
19	Round 08	21
	FT

The Chiefs frustrated the QR Queensland Reds hopes of an upset by booting a penalty goal in the closing minutes to win their Investec Super 14 match 21-19 at Suncorp Stadium.

The Chiefs scored two tries to one, but the Reds hit the lead late in the second half thanks to an Andrew Walker penalty five minutes from fulltime that gave the loyal crowd of 16,830 cause to hope the Reds luck was about to change.

However it was not to be the case as a ruck penalty right in front of the posts allowed the Chiefs' Stephen Donald to boot the match winner and condemn the Reds to a seventh straight loss.

Walker was one of the Reds' best on the night, along with flanker David Croft who scored the Reds' only try in a typically courageous and determined run.

Reds' captain John Roe said the younger players in the team needed to realise they were good enough to compete and all players had to play more as a team.

"We just talked about having some self-belief and trust in the team and each other," he said afterwards.

"You don’t need to give away a penalty, you don’t need to pull out from the inside or anything like that.

"You just need to rely on the fact that your mate is going to do his job.
"We do it for vast periods of play and then we let ourselves down with a moment of trying to be a hero or a moment of not thinking.

"I certainly hope it's a learning experience but at the moment it's just a habit."

Coach Eddie Jones was equally frustrated at the end of the match, saying the Reds would be better off playing next week rather than having a bye because they need to keep playing to gain experience and to learn.

He said 'there's a nucleus of something good here' if the current crop of talented younger players can stay together and develop as a unit.

Roe agreed, saying "We've got a bunch of young guys that don’t know how good they are yet.

"Deep down they probably don't believe that they're worthy of the opportunity they've got at the moment.

"They're playing Super 14 and they're good enough - they're just as good as any of the opponents they're coming up against."

The Reds have a week off in round nine before hosting the Sharks at Suncorp on Easter Saturday, April 7.

Full-back Clinton Schifcofske and lock Hugh McMeniman are likely to return for that clash with Sean Hardman an outside chance, but Jones conceded fly-half Berrick Barnes would be touch-and-go because of his ongoing shoulder problem.

Chiefs 21 (Kristian Ormsby 2 tries, Stephen Donald 3 pen, con) def QR Queensland Reds 19 (David Croft try, Andrew Walker 4 pen, con).

Crowd 16,830

(additional reporting by Sportal)