Superboot Harris kicks Reds to win over Force

Mike Harris enhanced his growing superboot reputation with an impressive goalkicking display to kick defending Super 15 champions Queensland Reds to a 35-20 win over Western Force on Saturday. Harris, proving a more than capable replacement for sidelined Wallaby playmaker Quade Cooper, kicked 25 points from seven penalties and two conversions to be the difference after both sides scored two tries each. Harris has an amazing 24 goals from 24 attempts in Super Rugby over the past two seasons and has amassed 45 points this season to lift the Reds to the top of the Australian Conference. But the fly-half's consummate goalkicking in Brisbane masked a scrappy performance from both teams with the Reds relinquishing their grip on the game with a 26-6 lead early in the second half only to be pulled back to 26-20 midway through the half. "I am pleased with the win, but not how we got it," Reds' Wallaby skipper James Horwill said. "Once again our ball control was poor, we didn't play the (wet) conditions, and when we did we looked good, but we just didn't do it often enough. "To allow them to score two very soft tries, that's not good enough." Emerging centre Ben Tapuai scored the Reds' opening try in the 20th minute charging up the left sideline and beating two tackles. Wallaby backrower Radike Samo scored a 55-metre runaway intercept try as the Reds went into half-time leading 23-6. Samo recreated his memorable IRB try of the year against New Zealand in Brisbane last August when he cleared away to the delight of the 33,563 Brisbane crowd after steaming onto a James Stannard inside ball from a scrum move. But just when the Reds appeared to have a bonus point in their sights, the Force hit back through tries by inspirational skipper David Pocock and five minutes later Stannard brushed aside some weak attempts to score under the crossbar. Harris kicked Queensland to safety with three more penalty goals as Force paid for their ill-discipline. Queensland were more clinical, kicked better and were smarter in their option-taking than the win-less Force. While the Force forward pack held their own and constantly pressured at the breakdown and set-piece, their attack made too many errors throughout the first half whenever they got themselves into try-scoring positions. The Reds will take their unbeaten start in against the Melbourne Rebels in Brisbane next Saturday, while the Force will have their first home game against New Zealand's Wellington Hurricanes on Friday.