Reds hand Brumbies first defeat of the season

Ill-discipline and uncharacteristically sloppy defending cost the Brumbies as they went down 21-7 to the Reds at Suncorp Stadium in Super Rugby Pacific on Saturday.

Two second-half yellows cost the Brumbies dearly as their six-game unbeaten run in the competition came to a crashing halt.

Take nothing away from the Reds, who took full advantage of their opportunities to extend their unbeaten run at home to 13 games, but the Brumbies were nowhere near their best.

Big hits from Filipo Daugunu and Jordan Petaia early on seemed to really rattle the Brumbies and effectively disrupted their rhythm.

James O'Connor broke the deadlock with a 14th-minute penalty, and Ryan Lonergan missed a chance to level the scores six minutes later in a tense but points-sparse opening to the match.

The visitors emerged from their early shell shock in the 23rd minute as Jesse Mogg left Daugunu for dead with a mean dummy before stepping inside Hamish Stewart to score the game's opening try. Lonergan successfully converted to make it 3-7.

O'Connor threw points back in the 32nd minute, moments before the Reds were reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes when Tuaina Tualima was red-carded for cleaning out James Slipper illegally at the breakdown.

The Brumbies boldly kicked it to the corner instead of taking the easy points and thought their maul had shoved a second try over the line, but the referee ruled that it had been held up by a superb piece of defending from Taniela Tupou, Angus Blyth and Ryan Smith.

Unlike much of the first period, the second half began with a bang.

Jordan Petaia did brilliantly to reclaim an O'Connor up-and-under. Fraser McReight broke off the ruck and drove his way over the line from close range as O'Connor added the extras to make it