(Reuters) – An inspired Queensland Reds stunned runaway Super Rugby Pacific leaders Waikato Chiefs 25-22 on Friday to hand them their first defeat of the campaign and snap their 10-match winning run in the competition.
The Reds came into the contest in New Plymouth having lost their previous 21 games in New Zealand, a streak stretching back 10 years but defended resolutely in the final minutes of a thrilling contest to seal an upset for the ages.
The much-changed Chiefs were banging away at the Reds line through 27 phases at the end as they looked for a winning try but the home side were held up over the line before the fulltime whistle went.
Flyhalf Tom Lynagh’s 77th-minute penalty put the Reds in front after a converted try from Chiefs’ loose-forward Samipeni Finau had levelled the scores at 22-22.
The Chiefs have 46 points from 11 games while the Reds have 23 from as many matches.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
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