Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss has lauded his team's "titanic" upset win against the Chiefs after his side held on to beat the Super Rugby Pacific powerhouses 25-19 in a statement performance.
After snapping their 21-game, 10-year losing streak on New Zealand soil against the Chiefs late last season, the Reds doubled down with another famous victory on Saturday night.
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The heroic Reds stood up when it mattered most at Suncorp Stadium, denying the Chiefs a late winner after the Kiwi side camped on their line in a three-minute, 23-phase drive.
"We're not surprised, put it that way, but that's titanic in a way to hold out the Chiefs," Kiss told Stan Sport.
"You can see the relief and the joy from the guys ... it was probably fitting it goes down to the last minute."
Kiss now boasts a 2-1 record after taking the coaching reins in the off-season, as his Reds rebounded in style from last weekend's heartbreaking late defeat against the Hurricanes.
The Queensland coach said the way his side processed that golden-point loss had set up their bounce-back win.
"The boys were gutted, but they didn't lose themselves down a cul de sac of gloom," he said.
"They just said, 'What can we focus on next?'.
"We took the week day-by-day, we kept focused on us. If you over-focus on the Chiefs you can hurt yourself."
Kiss praised Lynagh's ability to play through pain, having been a constant target for the Chiefs as they sought to shut down the opposition's most dangerous player.
Five-eighth Lynagh was steamrolled by Chiefs flanker Samipeni Finau just seconds after he'd been in the hands of the doctor with a shoulder complaint.
"Sometimes toughness comes out in different ways, and we're seeing him take the hits," he said.
"We see him in the tackles, but he's tough (mentally).
"He's not the complete rugby player yet, we know that, but he's got a big upside on him and if he's got those traits already he's going to go a long way."
