A Tom Lynagh double has helped the Queensland Reds to a pressure-relieving defeat of the out-of-sorts Blues on Anzac Day at a soggy Suncorp Stadium.
The Queensland Reds have steadied with a gritty 35-21 victory that's left defending Super Rugby Pacific champions the Blues on the brink.
Watch every game of SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
Less Kiss's men started fast then hung on in their Anzac Day clash at a wet and muddied Suncorp Stadium.
While denied a bonus point thanks to a late Blues try, the victory still snapped the Reds' two-game losing streak and entrenched them in the top four at 6-3.
But the Blues (3-7), dominant in their march to the title last year, slipped to ninth and have work to do with five regular season games to play.
Reds flyhalf Tom Lynagh shot out of the blocks with tries in the fourth and seventh minutes to claim the inaugural Sellars Dixon Medal for player of the match.
He put his head through a gap from close-range for the opener and then, off a Jock Campbell break, ignored his inside support to step the fullback and notch an early double.
The 22-year-old then teamed with Tate McDermott and Tim Ryan to hold up rampaging hooker Kurt Eklund.
Ryan was involved twice more in try-savers to frustrate the visitors.
Blues coach Vern Cotter had another headache when winger Mark Tele'a was yellow-carded for a spectacular tipping tackle that dumped Ryan on his head.
That card was upgraded to red soon after but the Reds couldn't capitalise, with McDermott's probing efforts around the ruck unrewarded and Eklund finally discovering turf under the posts for the Blues.
That was some reward for the visitors' territorial dominance that continued early in the second half, but ended in the same fashion when another try was disallowed for a knock-on.
Errant passes and poor handling in the torrid conditions robbed the Reds of any fluency.
It was as if McDermott had had enough when he skipped out of the ruck and through three Chiefs forwards to slide next to the post for a relieving solo try.
A team effort earned the Reds' fourth, as Lachie Anderson hit a gap off a line-out set play to go through untouched.
The reply came through substitute Sam Nock, who found ample space against a back-pedalling defence to keep the Blues close.
Hooker Richie Asiata had just been substituted but was forced back into the fray with George Blake's injury and was immediately on the board, finishing a driving maul.
No.7 Anton Segner burrowed over to take the bonus point off the Reds with five minutes to play, before Corey Evans capped a night of Blues frustration when he fumbled his attempt to ground a grubber in-goal.
Queensland Reds 35 (Lynagh 2, McDermott, Anderson, Asiata tries; Lynagh 5 cons) def Blues 21 (Eklund, Nock, Segner tries; Barrett 2, Plummer cons)
REDS (1-15): Sef Fa'agase, Richie Asiata, Zane Nonggorr, Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Seru Uru, Fraser McReight, Joe Brial, Tate McDermott (c), Tom Lynagh, Tim Ryan, Hunter Paisami, Dre Pakeho, Lachie Anderson, Jock Campbell
Replacements: George Blake, Alex Hodgman, Massimo De Lutiis, Angus Blyth, Ryan Smith, John Bryant, Kalani Thomas, Heremaia Murray
BLUES (1-15): Joshua Fusitu'a, Kurt Eklund, Angus Ta'avao, Patrick Tuipulotu (c), Josh Beehre, Cam Christie, Anton Segner, Hoskins Sotutu, Finlay Christie, Harry Plummer, Mark Tele’a, AJ Lam, Rieko Ioane, Cole Forbes, Zarn Sullivan
Replacements: Ricky Riccitelli, Mason Tupaea, Hamdahn Tuipulotu, Laghlan McWhannell, Adrian Choat, Sam Nock, Beauden Barrett, Corey Evans
Referee: Jordan Way
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry, Jordan Kaminski
TMO: James Leckie
The Reds' clash with the Blues will be shown LIVE on Stan Sport.
Coverage will be live and ad-free on Stan Sport, slated to start at 7:00 pm with kickoff expected at 7:35 pm.
