For a while, it felt like the Queensland Reds were watching their finals tune-up unravel in real time.
A comfortable lead disappeared, the Fijian Drua found their rhythm, and Suncorp Stadium suddenly had the uneasy feeling of a side losing control of a match it should have had wrapped up.
Instead, the Reds steadied.
On Friday, 29 May, at Suncorp Stadium, Queensland wrestled momentum back through a dominant rolling maul, a powerful finish from their forward pack and another influential performance from Fraser McReight to defeat the Drua 45-24 in their final Super Rugby Pacific regular-season match before the playoffs.
The Drua arrived in Brisbane with little more than pride to play for, but anyone expecting a straightforward evening had not been paying attention. Their season may be ending, but their ability to turn matches chaotic remains among the most dangerous weapons in the competition.
Published 29-May-2026
