Coach's 'weird' return sparks Queensland into life
After insipid opening performances from the Rebels and Force, Australian rugby badly needed a good watch and the traditional rivals delivered.
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
Reds co-captain Tate McDermott lauded the immediate impact of new coach Les Kiss as Queensland outduelled NSW in a rollicking 40-22 Super Rugby Pacific derby in Brisbane on Saturday.
After insipid opening performances from the Rebels and Force, Australian rugby badly needed a good watch and the traditional rivals delivered in front of 15,000 loyal fans at a wet Suncorp Stadium.
Kiss has replaced another former State of Origin star, Brad Thorn, at the Queensland helm this season.
Watch all the action from the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, with every match ad-free, live and and on demand on Stan Sport
"It's just enjoyable and what Les has done is given the guys confidence," try-scorer McDermott told Stan Sport.
"We've come off the back of some pretty poor years. The boys, they were shells of themselves last year and not quite playing to their full potential.
"We're not quite where we need to be at the moment, but that's a bloody good start and we'll take that any day of the week. That's a good outfit in the Waratahs."
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Queensland were awarded a penalty try - and Max Jorgensen copped a yellow card - for tackling a try-bound Jordan Petaia without the ball just before halftime.
Replays showed Jorgensen did make contact just before Petaia grabbed the Gilbert - but the sinbinning was harsh on top of the automatic seven points.
NSW had some minor grumbles about the incident afterwards but conceded they were outplayed by the enterprising Reds.
Kiss, who played Origin at the same ground way back in 1986, became a free agent after previous club London Irish ran into financial turmoil.
"It's been a weird last six or eight months," the former North Sydney Bears winger told Stan Sport.
"I mean, I did not expect this. It's popped up... I didn't plan for it. Maybe those are the things that matter, you know, when you don't plan for something. I'm really pleased with what I've inherited in this team and what opportunities I've got. But it's only one win."
In Whangarei, the Blues ran in five first half tries to set up a comfortable 34-10 win over the Fijian Drua.
The Drua could count themselves a little unlucky.
They started the match by carrying the ball for 21 phases before losing it near the Blues line.
They then conceded a long series of penalties which gave the Blues field position and allowed them to use their powerful scrum close to the Drua goal line.
Winger Caleb Clarke scored under the posts as first receiver from one scrum and fullback Zarn Sullivan scored in the left corner from another.
The Blues always were dangerous in the outside channels and captain Dalton Papalii scored in the right corner when the Drua cover defence was fully stretched.https://twitter.com/StanSportRugby/status/1761247070264926359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Drua were unlucky to concede another try close to halftime when they muffed the clearance of an Angus Ta'avao charge down and backrower Hoskins Sotutu scored his second try of the half.
He also scored the first Blues try at a breakdown on the Drua line.
The Drua's only points of the first half came from a penalty to No.10 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula who also received a yellow card in his Super Rugby debut.https://twitter.com/StanSportRugby/status/1761245439225966962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Blues halfback Finlay Christie was yellow carded at the start of the second half, in the play that led up to the Drua's first try.
The Drua tapped a penalty close to the Blues line and scored on the next phase through lock Leone Rotuisolia.
The Blues defence had begun to look vulnerable and had the Drua been able to take advantage of Christie's time in the sin bin to score again, they might have been able to place the home team under pressure.https://twitter.com/StanSportRugby/status/1761240861143171165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
But the match meandered and almost 20 minutes passed before Sullivan's second try increased the Blues' lead to 34-10.
The Blues' backline transfer looked clunky at times but this was a slick move involving wingers Clarke and Mark Telea which ended with Sullivan scoring off an overlap in the right corner.
The Blues were heavily dependent on Clarke and Telea for backline momentum.https://twitter.com/StanSportRugby/status/1761260149581434950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
"We had some moments when we were in form but there were some moments which were a bit scratchy," Papalii said.
"At the end of the day, we know the Drua are going to bring it all. They play such a good style of football that you've got to be on all the time.
"They had moments when they put us under so much stress."
Former Fiji boss Vern Cotter has taken over as Blues coach from Leon MacDonald, who has become an assistant to new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson.
Later, the Highlanders came from behind to claim a 35-21 bonus point win over Moana Pasifika.
The highlight was an audacious try assist from uber talented halfback Folau Fakatava to centre Sam Gilbert.
"Brilliant football, try of the season so far," commentator Grant Nisbett declared.
"Admittedly week one, but boy, you'd go a long way to see a better one."
Super Rugby now shifts its attention to the Super Round in Melbourne next weekend.
