Queensland Ends 12-Year Drought in ‘Remarkable Victory’ After Coach’s Candid Halftime Interview with ‘F-Bomb’

Harry Wilson experienced a remarkable debut as captain of Queensland, leading the Reds to a long-awaited victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin—marking their first win in this southern New Zealand city in 12 years.

Although he serves as the Wallabies skipper, Wilson had never captained his state side before. He rose to the occasion in the absence of key players Tate McDermott, Liam Wright, and Fraser McReight.

Filipo Daugunu made a notable impact, scoring two tries in the second half that turned the tide after the Highlanders had a narrow lead at half-time.

The Reds triumphed 29-23 at Forsyth Barr Stadium, their first victory in Dunedin since 2013.

With this win, Queensland improved to a 4-1 record and currently sits second in the Super Rugby Pacific standings.

“It’s truly special,” Wilson expressed. “We discussed the significance of 2013 all week and set a goal to rewrite those history books.”

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“Even with several key players absent, our squad rose to the challenge, and they were outstanding. At half-time, we felt disappointed,” he added. “Our contact game wasn’t up to par, so we focused on improving that. The scrum really turned the game for us, providing the momentum we needed to clinch the win.”

Queensland coach Les Kiss was caught on live television expressing his frustration with a slip of the tongue as his team was down at half-time.

“The reality is, if you’re missing tackles and having soft moments… it makes things difficult. We had a couple of set pieces that we would have liked to win. But I won’t f—ing discredit them because they did well,” Kiss reflected.

The match, attended by 12,610 spectators, was marked by scrappy gameplay and handling errors, leading to a disappointing performance from the Highlanders.

Their scrum struggle was particularly evident, conceding five penalties in the second half alone.

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Issues appeared to stem from tighthead Saula Mau’s side, with replacement Sefo Kautai unable to continue after just a minute due to a knee injury.

This placed additional pressure on Ma’u against Reds substitute Alex Hodgman, and as penalties mounted, referee Damon Murphy sent Ethan de Groot to the sin bin for an offside offence during open play.

The Reds deserved their five tries to two victory, leaving the Highlanders with much to ponder.

Lock Fabian Holland, who had been benched this week due to a missed training session caused by a flight cancellation, returned to the fray after 46 minutes.

By that time, however, the momentum had shifted, pulling the Highlanders into a scrappy battle at the set-piece where they struggled.

The Highlanders found themselves trailing 12-0 within 10 minutes as the Reds capitalised on their errors.

Returning fullback Finn Hurley had a challenging start, misjudging a long kick from Reds No.10 Tom Lynagh and dropping another ball cold.

Hurley was replaced by Sam Gilbert with 10 minutes remaining, following a tough outing after his stellar two-try performance against the Blues.

Captain Timoci Tavatavanawai was pivotal in rallying the team on both ends of the pitch.

He powered through for a trademark try before winning another penalty at a breakdown with the Highlanders under immense pressure.

Wearing the No.11 jersey, Tavatavanawai frequently popped up across the field, drawing in defenders consistently.

His influence inspired the Highlanders, who increased their defensive intensity, before big midfielder Tanielu Tele’a displayed superb footwork to score after sustained pressure on the Reds’ line.

Speedster Caleb Tangitau had a try disallowed before the break, as the TMO spotted a deliberate knock-on by Reds fullback Heremaia Murray, which resulted in a yellow card.

Unfortunately for the Highlanders, they failed to capitalise during Murray’s 10 minutes in the sin bin, leaving them scoreless.

This lapse proved costly, as the Reds effectively utilised their bench, with Hodgman and Wallaby Lukhan Salakaia-Loto bringing both size and experience to the game.

When Daugunu secured his second try of the match with around 10 minutes left, while the Highlanders were down to 14 men, the game was beyond reach for the home side.

To further complicate matters, the Reds secured yet another scrum penalty, prompting coach Jamie Joseph to urgently address these issues.

REDS 29 (Filipo Daugunu 2, Kalani Thomas, Richie Asiata, Lachie Anderson tries; Tom Lynagh 2 cons) HIGHLANDERS 23 (Timoci Tavatavanawai, Tanielu Tele’a tries; Taine Robinson 2, Sam Gilbert pen; Robinson 2 cons) HT: 12-17