A Tim Ryan double has steered Queensland home against Ulster with the Reds coming out 38-31 victors in Belfast.
Trailing 24-19 midway through the second half, Queensland needed a spark and found it in Ryan whose brace ultimately proved the difference in an 11-try thriller at Ravenhill.
Fullback Jock Campbell and Crusaders recruit Heremaia Murray also excelled while Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight and Ryan Smith shone up front for the Reds.
It took just five minutes for Queensland open the game up with rookie tighthead Massimo De Luttis splitting the Ulster line and storming downfield.
While that didn’t produce points, an eighth minute penalty did with Harry McLaughlin-Phillips plugging the corner for a lineout and Wallaby hooker Matt Faessler duly cashing in from the maul.
De Lutiis again come to the fore with a tone-setting hit on Jacob Flannery but the Ulster men were up to the challenge, seeing off 10 minutes of Reds’ defensive pressure to eventually crack the visitors via an Aidan Morgan cut ball that put Ireland winger Jacob Stockdale away.
Locked up 7-all, the Reds found their spark in the pack with Wallaby duo Angus Blyth and Harry Wilson forcing a turnover before De Lutiis again stood tall with a scrum penalty to send Queensland marching upfield.
Though the Reds didn’t score from the ensuing lineout, Jock Campbell’s deft kick from a sweeping two-phase play forced another attacking lineout, this time from 5m out to give his forwards prime real estate.
The subsequent maul was foiled but Ulster had no answers for Conor Vest’s slick hands one-off the ruck with Wilson barreling over Morgan for Queensland’s second try and a 12-7 lead.
It didn’t last - Ulster needed just four minutes to pull back in front with halfback Conor McKee sliding over from a sublime 9-12-9 midfield scrum play and Morgan converting to put his side ahead 14-12 after half an hour.
Buoyed, the hosts surged ahead with Zac Ward narrowly denied their third try by a diving Jock Campbell but Queensland would have the last say before oranges as Ryan and Wilson combined to put Tate McDermott away.
Ryan drew in two defenders and freed an arm for Wilson, who found open pasture and McDermott in hot pursuit to score untouched and clinch a 19-14 half-time lead.
Ulster rocketed out of the sheds with two quick tries, first via centre James Hume who showed great strength to shake off Wilson and McDermott, then Michael Lowry who scorched away untouched for a 24-19 lead as the crowd noise began to swell.
Enter the Junkyard Dog from stage right, 22 minutes remaining.
A tackle-shredding surge from Murray down the left wing found Ryan in hot pursuit to claim the offload and score the equaliser.
But that wasn't enough for the JYD, who backed up again shortly after with a deft grubber through the line to Campbell, who duly returned the favour NFL style for Ryan to bank his second in as many minutes and launch Queensland ahead 33-24 with replacement flyhalf Tom Lynagh adding both extras.
With momentum on their side, the Reds surged ahead and looked to have sealed the deal with another try down the left wing after 63 minutes - this time to Murray via a McDermott cut-out ball.
However, there was late drama to come as Irish veteran Stuart McCloskey barged through Ulster's first try with 10 to play and a final flurry saw the hosts camped deep inside Reds' territory searching for an equaliser.
It wasn't to be though with Queensland's desperate goal-line defence holding firm as the hosts fumbled within inches of the chalk to hand Les Kiss' side a famous homecoming win.
QUEENSLAND REDS 38 (Ryan 2, Faessler, McDermott, Murray, Wilson tries; McLaughlin-Phillips 2 Lynagh 2 cons) def ULSTER 31 (Stockdale, McKee, Ward, Lowry, McCloskey tries; Morgan 3 cons)
