Reds suffer late heartache as Western Force snare thrilling win

Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss has let out his frustrations after his team suffered a heartbreaking 19-14 Super Rugby Pacific loss to the Western Force in Perth.

With the Force clinging to a five-point lead in the 77th minute, the Reds unleashed a fast break that had Treyvon Pritchard streaming down the wing.

Pritchard dished off an inside pass to fullback Jock Campbell with the line just 23m away, but Force flyhalf Max Burey got in the way and the ball deflected off him.

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The Reds’ coaching staff were left fuming, believing it was a cynical knock-down by Burey.

A yellow card or a penalty try could have been the result, but the referee deemed the ball had come off Burey’s chest in a legitimate play for the ball, ruling it a knock-on only.

Kiss slammed his hand down on the desk in frustration at the time, but the incoming Wallabies coach was philosophical when asked about the key moment after the match.

“Well, you knock the ball and knock it to the ground,” Kiss said.

“That’s up for them (referees) to make a choice. It certainly seems to have changed in terms of its interpretation in that area.

“But it is what it is. We’ll live with it and accept it, no problems.”

The result left Queensland (6-6) clinging to sixth spot, just two points ahead of the seventh-placed Waratahs with two rounds remaining.

The Force (5-7) moved up to ninth, and are now six points adrift of the Reds in the battle for a top-six berth.

Just a day after locking in coach Simon Cron for 2027, the Force opened the scoring in the sixth minute through Carlo Tizzano via a rolling maul.

The Reds lost four of their nine lineouts in the first half, continuing a worrying trend that has plagued them in recent weeks.

Reds flanker Joe Brial broke through in the 20th minute to level the scores, but the Reds left a number of other golden chances go begging.

Centre Isaac Henry couldn’t pick up a grubbered ball in his attempt to dive and trap the ball at the same time for a try.

And prized Force recruit Zac Lomax, who had received a rude awakening earlier in the match when he was crunched in a tackle by lock Hamish Muller, produced a try-saving juggling intercept when the Reds were just metres away from scoring.

Lomax’s pressure going for a high ball allowed Mac Grealy to dive on the crumbs for a 44th-minute try.

And after Reds winger Tim Ryan replied a short time later, the Force hit the lead again when a Burey chip kick and a juggling grab from George Bridge set up Tizzano for his second try in the 55th minute in what proved to be the final score of the contest.

“It was a bit of a do-or-die game for us. All of them are really going forward,” Force captain Jeremy Williams said.

“We’ve just got to walk towards it I guess.”