QR Qld Reds v Lions

The QR Queensland Reds slumped to their fourth Investec Super 14 defeat in five games against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium, losing 26-20 after again putting themselves in a winning position 10 minutes from the end.

An adventurous first half in which young guns Berrick Barnes, Quade Cooper and Will Genia showed colts rugby-style bravado in constructing two tries off the back of a dominant forward display, came to nought when the team suffered another attack of the yips late in the second half.

Lions fly-half Andre Pretorious came on as a second half replacement and effectively took charge of the game, turning the Reds around with a masterly kicking display mixed up with a ball-in-hand game that was constantly probing for weakness.

Reds Head Coach Eddie Jones was angry and disappointed that another one had gotten away from his team when they were well positioned with the score at 17-6 in the first half and 20-19 with 10 minutes to play.

While taking nothing away from the Lions, who he said fully deserve their second place on the competition ladder, Jones said the Reds had played "dumb football".

"I think we must like losing," Jones told the media, minutes after he had said the same to the team in far more colourful terms.

"We had them on toast (at 17-6). We just played dumb in the second half. There's no excuse for it."

The Reds were first to put points on the board with an early conversion to fullback Clinton Schifcofske.

A powerful run by Reds captain John Roe, who along with fellow backrower David Croft led the forwards by example all night, resulted in 18-year old Cooper scoring his first Super 14 try in his run-on debut at flyhalf.

He was involved twice in the play, scoring on the second touch when inside centre Barnes flicked a ball off the ground to give Cooper the opening he needed.

Minutes later, 19-year old scrumhalf Genia, on as a 22nd minute replacement for Nic Berry (head knock), crossed for his first Super 14 try after a typically powerful burst from flanker Croft set up the play.

However the Lions kept in the game through the perfect kicking boot of fullback Earl Rose who slotted four penalties in the first half to keep the Lions in striking distance at halftime trailing 17-12.

The second half arrival of Pretorius put the Lions firmly on the front foot, and a try when centre Jaque Fourie was given the benefit of the doubt in an in-goal scramble right on the dead ball line put them into the lead.

The Reds got their noses back in front with a Schifcofske penalty, but it was the Lions who closed out the game with a try to captain and flanker Ernst Joubert in the 75th minute. 

The Reds had started the game without prop Ben Coutts, who reinjured his troublesome shoulder in the warmup and had to be replaced by Herman Hunt.

Reds Academy prop Gavin Warren came onto the bench and won his first Reds cap in the 70th minute. But his debut was cut short when he was injured in a scrum engagement and was stretchered off as a precaution. He later rejoined the team on the sidelines after medical staff gave him the all clear.

New recruit Andrew Walker made his Reds debut at the 62nd minute mark, but despite a couple of attacking bursts was unable to make an impact on the game.

Lions 26 (Jague Fourie, Ernst Joubert tries, Earl Rose 4 pen, 2 con) def QR Queensland Reds 20 ( Quade Cooper, Will Genia tries; Clinton Schifcofske 2 conv 2 pen). Crowd 17,011