Cheetahs dump Reds 27-13 in Super Rugby

VIDEO: The Reds have missed a prime chance to jump to the top of the Australian conference with a 27-13 Super Rugby loss to the Cheetahs.

THE Reds have missed a prime chance to jump to the top of the Australian conference with a 27-13 Super Rugby loss to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Looking to leapfrog the Brumbies after the ACT side's loss to NSW, as well as keep their unbeaten record intact against overseas opponents, the Reds dominated possession in a high-tempo game but were frustrated throughout.

The had almost twice as much ball as the Cheetahs, and created more line breaks, but couldn't produce the vital finishing touches at Free State Stadium.

Cheetahs halfback Piet van Zyl scored two first-half tries and journeyman five-eighth Elgar Watts kicked five penalty goals in a 17-point haul while the home side's defence kept Queensland tryless until the 78th minute.

Jake-Schatz

The Reds could rightly feel hard done by as they were denied by the television match official four times after crossing the line before reserve back Ben Lucas was finally given the nod in the dying moments.

But it was the scrambling Cheetahs defence, and their pilfering work at the breakdown, which expertly dug them out of jail time and time again.

Queensland's bad luck started in the first 65 seconds when they appeared to start superbly with a try to winger Rod Davies, who pounced on a Quade Cooper kick to score.

But South African TMO Shaun Veldsman inexplicably denied it due to an inconsequential and accidental obstruction by Saia Faingaa as fullback Luke Morahan made a bust from inside his own half.

Digby-Ioane

Two minutes later Van Zyl charged down a Will Genia box kick and easily pushed off Cooper to score in the corner for a 10-point turnaround.

Watts' conversion attempt was the only miss in his seven shots at goal on a superb run-on debut for the third-choice flyhalf.

Queensland played with vibrant enterprise and dangerous backs Morahan, Chris Feauai-Sautia and Digby Ioane all made first-half breaks that went unrewarded.

Springbok flanker Heinrich Brussow set Van Zyl on his way for a 40m run to the line, pushing off Greg Holmes before stepping past Ioane, for his second try in the 27th minute.

Reds-bunch

Watts kicked his third penalty to start the second half for a 21-6 lead before Cooper put Morahan over only for Veldsman to rule a marginal forward pass.

Two more penalties to Watts on the hour mark killed off the Reds, whose desperate play disintegrated in the final 20 minutes before Genia put Lucas over out wide.

Queensland coaching boss Ewen McKenzie was also seeing red after halftime when Morahan was denied by a side-on review angle that showed Cooper's reflex inside pass went forward.

"I haven't seen many TMO forward pass decisions this season and we got a couple in the one game," McKenzie told AAP. "They were pulling camera angles out of their bums to get that forward pass on Quade."

But McKenzie's biggest frustration was borne out of his side's poor try-scoring precision.

Queensland played with vibrant enterprise throughout and Morahan, Chris Feauai-Sautia and Digby Ioane all made early breaks which went unrewarded while set-piece chances near the line were fluffed by impatience and the Cheetahs' fine breakdown work.

"We got what we deserved," McKenzie said. "We didn't hang on to the ball at key moments and we weren't patient enough.

"We had plenty of opportunity; we had good field position and plenty of ball.

"It's not as though we weren't doing enough but the (final) detail hurt us."

CHEETAHS 27 (Piet van Zyl 2 tries Elgar Watts con 5 pens) bt QUEENSLAND REDS 13 (Ben Lucas try Quade Cooper con 2 pens) at Vodacom Park. Referee: Craig Joubert.

Bulls beat bottom-place Highlanders

THE Bulls charged past the Highlanders 35-18 in Super Rugby to retain control of the South African conference and move second overall as Springboks Pierre Spies and Morne Steyn reached milestones.

Skipper Spies scored one of the Bulls' four tries in his 100th Super Rugby game and Steyn became the Pretoria team's most capped player in the competition with his 117th appearance.

Centre JJ Engelbrecht went in for the first try inside two minutes and wing Akona Ndungane's breakout just before halftime maintained the Bulls' control.

Spies scored early in the second and replacement Jano Vermaak secured a bonus point with the fourth try two minutes from time. Steyn kicked 15 points in his record-breaking game.

Fumiaki Tanaka and Tamati Ellison crossed late for the bottom-placed Highlanders.

BULLS 35 (JJ Engelbrecht, Akona Ndungane, Pierre Spies, Jano Vermaak tries Morne Steyn 3 cons 3 pens) bt HIGHLANDERS 18 (Tamati Ellison, Fumiaki Tanaka tries Hayden Parker con Colin Slade 2 pens) at Loftus Versfeld. Referee: Jaco Peyper. Crowd: 21,424.