Qld red-faced after 31-20 loss to Lions

Super 14 strugglers Queensland sunk to their lowest ebb in another ugly season by
crashing to an embarrassing 31-20 loss to the Lions at Suncorp Stadium.
The ragged and flat Reds failed to cash in on a two-man advantage for nine
second-half minutes to lose their fourth successive match and looked a far cry from
the entertaining outfit which upset the pacesetting Sharks a month ago.
Lions forwards Robert Kruger and Anton van Zyl were both on the sidelines after
being sin-binned within a minute of each other but a bumbling Queensland couldn't
make the visitors pay.
The Johannesburg-based Lions, who only enjoyed a third of possession, taught the
hosts a lesson in clinical and precise finishing, as they took almost all of their
chances to run in four tries to the Reds' three.
Long-striding winger Henno Mentz claimed a hat-trick, including a momentum turning
75-metre counter-attacking effort from one of Queensland's many dropped passes when
in attack.
That pivotal moment came with 16 minutes left when Queensland, attacking against the
13-man visitors, coughed up the ball through playmakers Berrick Barnes and Quade
Cooper on the 22 and hooker Willie Wepener put Mentz away.
It was one of two long-range tries for the winger, who also scored the first from a
Reds turnover.
Queensland skipper James Horwill didn't mince words after his side's impatience and
comedy of errors badly disappointed the home crowd of 15,597.
"We just didn't come out and play tonight," Horwill said. "We didn't show up."
"We're making too many silly mistakes and rushing the play and it's really hurting us."
Lions captain Ernst Joubert, who scored an individual charge down try late in the
first half, praised his troops' patience and defence.
"They can throw the ball around and play touch rugby but I must take my hats off to
the boys it was a brilliant performance," said Joubert.
The dreadful display left Queensland with a 2-7 record, second last on the table and
staring down the barrel at a sixth straight bottom-three finish.
Rubbing salt into the wounds were first-half leg injuries to key men Peter Hynes
(ankle) and Daniel Braid (ankle).
Once again, the Reds didn't find it difficult to break their opponents' defence but
were unable to provide the finishing touches near the line with cut-out passes
thrown over the sideline and support players grassing clutch balls.
Backline general Barnes set the tone for an amateurish first half by failing to even
make the distance on a 35m penalty goal attempt.
Halfback Will Genia gave the home side hope with a solo 25m try and a quick tap
which led to replacement Scott Higginbotham crossing just before the break for a
17-10 half-time scoreline.
A brilliant pass by outside centre Deon van Rensberg gave Mentz his second try early
in the second half for a 24-13 lead.
Cooper managed to bring it back to 24-20 when he crossed just after Kruger was
sin-binned but when he spilled Barnes' inside ball soon after, allowing for Mentz'
third, the wind was taken out of the Reds' sails.