Kiss backs Reds to overcome slow-start trauma in Chiefs qualifying final

Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss has called on his squad to confront the “trauma” of two catastrophic slow starts in New Zealand finals as they prepare for a fifth-consecutive qualifying final appearance, this time against the Chiefs at FMG Stadium Waikato.

The Reds have never won a Super Rugby final played in New Zealand — Australian teams are 0-21 in such matches — and Kiss’s own record in these fixtures makes grim reading. His side trailed 28-0 against the Chiefs and 27-0 against the Crusaders in their previous two playoff losses at the same stage, results that have defined the limits of an otherwise steady rebuild at Ballymore.

“Thanks for the trauma,” Kiss said pointedly when the scorelines were raised. “But we’re a team now that handles those things a lot better.”

Kiss, who is set to take over as Wallabies head coach in August, acknowledged that the development work done across three seasons — in leadership, culture and positional depth — will ultimately count for little without a result. “The ‘W’ is the big thing in sport and that’s the true measure of success in a lot of ways,” he said.

The Reds are making their fifth straight qualifying final, a run that speaks to consistent regular-season competitiveness, yet the side has not managed to convert that into a semi-final berth in recent attempts. Kiss is aware the narrative around his Queensland tenure will hinge on what happens in Hamilton.

“These boys are hungry for a win and want to take another step forward,” he said. “That’s the mission. We’ve got to stand up and then let’s see.”

The Chiefs represent a formidable obstacle, widely regarded as one of the strongest sides in the competition this season. Whether the Reds’ improved capacity to absorb early pressure translates into a first New Zealand final victory for an Australian franchise remains the defining question of Kiss’s Ballymore legacy.