Queensland Reds
Western Force
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Championship Standings
The Reds sit 4th on 18 points after six rounds — firmly in the playoff picture despite a negative point differential. The Force are 10th with just one win from six, level on points with bottom-placed Moana Pasifika. This is a six-place, 14-point gap in the table.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hurricanes | 6 | 5 | 1 | +166 | 24 |
| 2 | Blues | 7 | 5 | 2 | +95 | 24 |
| 3 | Brumbies | 7 | 4 | 3 | +50 | 19 |
| 4 | Reds | 6 | 4 | 2 | −18 | 18 |
| 5 | Chiefs | 6 | 4 | 2 | +31 | 17 |
| 6 | Crusaders | 6 | 3 | 3 | +6 | 14 |
| 7 | Waratahs | 6 | 3 | 3 | −15 | 14 |
| 8 | Highlanders | 7 | 3 | 4 | −44 | 13 |
| 9 | Fijian Drua | 6 | 2 | 4 | −57 | 8 |
| 10 | Western Force | 6 | 1 | 5 | −52 | 4 |
| 11 | Moana Pasifika | 7 | 1 | 6 | −162 | 4 |
Queensland Reds
W4, L2The Reds have been one of the stories of the 2026 season — four wins from six is genuine playoff form. After a 36–12 opening-round shellacking in Sydney, they rattled off four straight wins including a gutsy 34–31 comeback at the Brumbies and a convincing 26–17 derby win over the Waratahs at home. The 52–14 hammering at the Hurricanes was a reality check — Wellington is a graveyard for Australian sides — but the underlying trajectory is upward.
Western Force
W1, L5One win from six tells the story. The Force's lone victory came against fellow cellar-dwellers Moana Pasifika — a 35–19 result that flattered no one. To their credit, they competed in their two most recent losses against the Highlanders (39–31) and Hurricanes (31–23), keeping margins single-digit. But competing and winning are different things, and the Force have conceded heavily across the season with a −52 point differential.
Head-to-Head at Suncorp Stadium
9 – 0 – 4
Reds wins · Draws · Force wins (last 13 meetings)
The Reds have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning five straight since 2020. In Brisbane specifically, the record is even more lopsided — the Force haven't won at Suncorp since 2017, and recent visits have been one-sided affairs. The 59–13 demolition in 2024 stands as the most emphatic result in this rivalry's history.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | Super Rugby | Reds 28–24 Force |
| Jun 2024 | Super Rugby | Reds 59–13 Force |
| May 2023 | Super Rugby | Reds 31–17 Force |
| Mar 2021 | Super Rugby AU | Reds 26–19 Force |
| Jul 2020 | Super Rugby AU | Reds 31–24 Force |
| Jun 2017 | Super Rugby | Force 40–26 Reds |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Reds 35 – Force 19. The Reds have won the last five meetings by an average margin of 16 points.
Extended Form
Queensland Reds8W, 5L
2026 Super Rugby: W4 L2 (beat Highlanders 31–14, Brumbies 34–31, Waratahs 26–17, Fijian Drua 21–6; lost to Waratahs 36–12, Hurricanes 52–14). 2025 Super Rugby: beat Fijian Drua 52–7, Waratahs 28–21, Blues 35–21, Highlanders 31–0, Western Force 28–24, Moana Pasifika 56–36. Lost to Hurricanes 27–31, Brumbies 26–39, Chiefs 15–27.
The Reds are a potent force at home. They won six of eight at Suncorp in 2025 and have continued that form into 2026. Losses have come exclusively against New Zealand opposition — the Hurricanes and Chiefs — while they've beaten every Australian and Pacific Island side they've faced on home turf.
Western Force2W, 8L
2025–2026 away results: beat Waratahs 27–26, Crusaders 33–28. Lost to Fijian Drua 33–36, Brumbies 14–24, Chiefs 21–43, Crusaders 12–32, Waratahs 19–47, Waratahs 12–36, Brumbies 34–31 (W), Fijian Drua 21–6 (W).
The Reds' away record is patchy — wins have come mostly against lower-ranked sides. But crucially, this is a home game in Brisbane, where they are a different animal entirely.
Queensland Reds XV
Lineups not yet announced for this fixture. The Reds are expected to recall key players after the heavy defeat in Wellington. Tate McDermott at scrumhalf and Josh Flook in the backs are central to the Reds' attacking game. Matt Faessler has been excellent at hooker. Coach Brad Thorn will want a response from his side.
Western Force XV
Lineups not yet announced. The Force squad includes Argentine imports Franco Molina and Leonel Oviedo, plus flanker Carlo Tizzano who has been a workhorse at the breakdown. Darby Lancaster provides pace in the back three. With no manager listed on SofaScore, the coaching setup remains in transition.
Key Matchups
The Reds hold advantages across the park. Their halfback combination of McDermott and Creighton has been one of the best in Australian rugby, and the Suncorp crowd amplifies their tempo game. The Force's best chance lies at the lineout, where Franco Molina's physicality could disrupt, and on the counter-attack through Darby Lancaster's pace. But the Reds' backrow — led by Wallaby Fraser McReight — should dominate the breakdown battle against a Force pack that leaks turnovers.
Match Forecast
This is a mismatch on paper — 4th versus 10th, a team with four wins hosting a team with one, at a ground where the visitors haven't won in nearly a decade. The Reds' home record is excellent, their form has been strong with four wins from six, and the head-to-head record is devastating for the Force — five straight losses including that 59–13 annihilation in 2024. The scorecard net of +21 across all seven dimensions points to a comfortable Reds victory with a likely bonus point.
The Force have shown some fight in recent weeks — losing by just 8 to both the Highlanders and Hurricanes — which suggests they won't roll over completely. Their Argentine contingent adds some steel in the pack. But the Reds are coming off a chastening loss to the Hurricanes and will be hungry to make a statement at Suncorp. Expect Brad Thorn's side to be clinical early and pull away in the second half as the Force's thin squad depth tells.
Reds win comfortably with a bonus point — this is a fixture they own at Suncorp.