Reds vs Force takes: Pumas lock stars, Donaldson strengthens POTY case

The Western Force have made a Super Rugby Pacific statement with a 42-19 win over Australian rivals the Queensland Reds in Brisbane. Argentinian international Franco Molina crossed for a hat-trick as the Force claimed their second win of the 2026 season.

Queensland took the lead in the 23^rd minute through Joe Brial, having scored a try in each of their two entries into the opposition 22. But it was one-way traffic from then on, piling on 28 unanswered points.

Filipo Daugunu hit back late for the Reds, before Molina charged over the try line to wrap up a bonus point win on the road for the Force. Here are four takeaways from the Force’s 23-point win at Suncorp Stadium.

Wallaby and Puma set the tone

Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Los Pumas lock Franco Molina helped set the tone on what ended up being a famous night for the Force. Those two were particularly impressive, but the efforts of the entire tight five deserve an honourable mention.

Molina was obviously able to stand out, having crossed for a hat-trick at Suncorp Stadium. In the absence of captain Jeremy Williams, Molina packed down alongside Wallaby Darcy Swain, and this combination was solid in all areas.

But let’s talk about Paenga-Amosa who, along with Molina and Ben Donaldson, was right up there for best on ground. Paenga-Amosa had a game-high number of carries in the first term and was generally impactful around the park.

Paenga-Amosa was the first player to reach 15 carries, was involved in setting up Mac Grealy’s try of the season contender during the first term, and the hooker crossed for a five-pointer of his own in the 58^th minute.

Tighthead prop Misinale Epenisa led the way for most of the match with a team-high number of tackles. While Paenga-Amosa and Molina shone particularly bright, the efforts from the tight five laid the foundations for a famous Force win.

Ben Donaldson strengthens POTY case

Ben Donaldson might just be the best player in Super Rugby Pacific right now. Three RugbyPass writers suggested on Friday that the likes of Charlie Cale, Cam Roigard, Jordie Barrett and Will Jordan were the competition standouts after seven rounds, but it’s hard to argue with the facts.

Donaldson and Chiefs centre Quinn Tupaea shared the lead in the race for Player of the Year honours after seven rounds. Max Jorgensen, Jordan, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Caleb Tangitau were the others rounding out the top six.

But Donaldson did his MVP chances absolutely no harm with a standout outing against the Reds. The fly-half had eight carries for 56 metres during the first term alone, beating four defenders, produced a well-worked chip-and-chase, and generally looked dangerous with the ball.

The 27-year-old continued to impress during the second term, as the Force continued to charge towards a rare win in the Sunshine State. Donaldson showed incredible skill to quickly send a cross-field kick Darby Lancater’s way, with the winger reeling in possession to score.

That effort early in the second half is just one highlight to speak of, with the 10-15 combination with Australia A representative Mac Grealy a real positive. Donaldson stole the show in this derby and can very well be considered the form player in Super Rugby Pacific.

Reds clinical early but the Force took over

The Reds made the most of some early opportunities btu they weren’t able to take control of the contest from there. Queensland left the red zone with a try in each of their first times inside the Force’s 22, with Tim Ryan and Joe Brial scoring in the first half.

If you looked at the match stats around that time, you would’ve seen the Force had conceded seven penalties to none, and the visitors had a worse tackle completion percentage. But the Reds only had 37 per cent of possession and 28 per cent territory by the 23-minute mark.

Ryan reaped the rewards of a clever set-piece move in the Reds’ first entry into the 22, with Josh Nasser finding Joe Brial at an attacking lineout. Seru Uru passed the ball onto Hunter Paisami, who drew in some defenders before setting up ‘The Junkyard Dog’ Ryan.

The Reds took the lead for the first time through Brial in the 23^rd minute, with Kalani Thomas setting up the blindside flanker with some quick thinking. Thomas took a quick tap before finding Brial, who ran a superb line through the Reds defensive wall.

But the Force scored the next 28 points unanswered, running away with a commanding win on the road. Queensland finished with about 34 per cent possession, suffering their second consecutive loss.

“They were quality, we were poor, discipline very poor.” Fraser McReight said post-game. “Very disappointed with that.”

Force deliver complete performance

You could see just how much that result meant to Mac Grealy when the fullback was interviewed only a few minutes after full-time. The Downlands College Old Boy, who played for the Reds before making the move west, was one of the many standouts for the Force on Saturday.

As the Super Rugby Pacific season neared its halfway point, the Force continued to search for their second win of the campaign. They had fallen short against some tough New Zealand sides, but showed against the Reds that they’re capable of some special results.

The Force have produced their best 80-minute performance of the season when it mattered most, with flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny describing the fixture post-game on Stan Sport as a “season-defining game.”

Grealy and Bayley Kuenzle both made their mark in a star-studded backline, which is still yet to include Zac Lomax, with the former NRL star’s debut delayed due to injury. Then in the forwards, it’s fairly difficult to fault anyone’s performance really.

An 80-minute performance is what the Force have been after, and they achieved that in style against an Australian rival. While they still sit outside the top six, next weekend’s clash away to the Fijian Drua will be huge.

“It’s a pretty special experience. I think we’ve had that performance coming for a while,” Grealy said post-game on Stan Sport.

“We’ve been talking about an 80-minute performance all year. We have good patches, we’re up at half-time, and then we have that 20-minute period where we seem to lose the game.

“Massive focus on us just staying in the moment, sticking to what we do well.”