(Reuters) - The Queensland Reds shock victory over Super Rugby Pacific pacesetters the Waikato Chiefs on Saturday was evidence to coach Les Kiss and co-captain Tate McDermott of the growing strength in depth at Ballymore.
The 2010 Super Rugby champions also handed the Chiefs a rare defeat with a similarly battling performance in New Plymouth last year, but at Lang Park on Saturday they did it without three first-choice starters.
Wallabies backs Hunter Paisami and Jordie Petaia as well as former All Blacks prop Alex Hodgman picked up knocks in the heartbreaking golden point loss to the Wellington Hurricanes in week two.
"We lost three boys last week and the three boys that came in tonight did a bloody good job," McDermott told reporters after the victory.
"And that's what we can be really proud of for this team going forward. Obviously, we're nowhere near the complete package, but the depth and the way the squad is trying to improve week in, week out is awesome to see."
Kiss, the former Ireland assistant coach who returned home to replace Brad Thorn as Reds coach for this season, agreed.
"They were exceptional. Really," he said. "And we keep saying it's gonna take all of us and it will. Tonight was a pretty good picture of what that looks like."
To the absent trio could be added another Wallaby in the experienced James O'Connor, who would have been expecting to start at flyhalf were it not for a hamstring injury.
A few hours before his brother Louis scored a try on debut for Italy, 20-year-old Tom Lynagh turned in another solid performance as starting pivot, despite taking a couple of big hits before making way for teenager Harry McLaughlin-Phillips.
McLaughlin-Phillips also looked at home in the maelstrom of Super Rugby, providing the crucial turnover that allowed the Reds to hold off 23 phases of attack from the Chiefs in the dying seconds and hold on for a 25-19 win.
"Just his composure is something I've been really impressed with," Kiss said.
"The experience that Tom Lynagh and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips have had in the last three four weeks... is invaluable.
"I'd like to think no position's really safe but that's a great position to have in a team, everyone's competitive."
The resistance to the final assault gave McDermott a sensation of deja vu after last year's hard-fought victory and also impressed Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan.
"Where the Reds shone was around their effort. It struck me in the pre-season and the first few games that they've got something going right in their environment," he said.
"People are prepared to get off the ground and scramble for each other and make it hard for others to earn points. It's positive signs, the sort we've seen in our group over the past few seasons."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by William Mallard)
