The Reds were dealt a double blow ahead of the start of the Super Rugby season, with Wallaby vice-captain Quade Cooper the biggest concern.
Cooper was stretchered off Ballymore as the Rebels produced a shock 18 / 13 pre-season upset of the Reds on Friday.
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Cooper fell awkwardly in the final minute of the match to bring a long halt to play as a dozen medics and concerned officials tended to the Wallabies playmaker.
Reds coach Richard Graham later played down the injury, but there remains doubt about his availability or the start of the season.
“He’s all right,” said Graham.
“I had a chat to him and he’s in good spirits but it [scans] is one of those things we have to do.
“My expectation is that he will play [against the Brumbies in Week One, in Canberra next Saturday].
“He’s come off, he’s alert, he’s talking, he’s disappointed.”
The Rebels completed a pre-season clean sweep with the two-tries-to one victory after fighting back from 0-13 down midway through the first half.
As well as their physicality, the Rebels showed good signs in attack with young playmaker Bryce Hegarty outshining Cooper before he left the field in a neck brace.
Despite the Rebels’ willing defence and intensity at the breakdown, the Reds got off to a strong start and led 13-0 with 20 minutes gone – following two penalty goals to Cooper and a try to Genia, converted by Cooper.
The Rebels fought back, scoring through Angus Roberts and Scott Fuglistaller to take a 15-13 lead into half-time. Rebels’ flyhalf Bryce Hegarty added one conversion and a penalty goal.
The Reds made four immediate replacements at the start of the second half, as the coaches looked to give all their players game time in the lead up to the opening round of Super Rugby.
A penalty goal to Hegarty early in the second half took the Rebels out to an 18-13 lead, which they held despite repeated attacking raids from the Reds in the final stages of the match.
The Reds’ best chance to take the win came in the final five minutes of the match, with replacement fullback Jamie-Jerry Taulagi fielding a kick deep in his own half.
The 20-year-old flyer ran the ball back, breaking the Rebels’ defensive line and sending a grubber kick ahead. Taulagi pounced on the ball in goal amongst traffic but it was ruled to be grounded by a Rebels player.
The scorers:
For the Reds:
Try: Genia (1)
Con: Cooper (1)
Pens: Cooper (2)
For the Rebels:
Tries: Roberts (1), Fuglistaller (1)
Con: Hegarty (1)
Pens: Hegarty (2)
Teams:
Queensland Reds: 15 Lachie Turner, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 12 Mike Harris, 11 Dom Shipperley, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Liam Gill, 6 Eddie Quirk, 5 James Horwill (Captain), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Saia Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: Ben Daley, James Hanson, Jono Owen, Blake Enever, Ed O’Donoghue, Curtis Browning, Nick Frisby, Chris Kuridrani, Anthony Fainga’a, Ben Tapuai, Jamie-Jerry Taulagi.
Rebels: 15 Angus Roberts, 14 Lachlan Mitchell, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 Tamati Ellison, 11 Tom English, 10 Bryce Hegarty, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Scott Higginbotham (Captain), 7 Scott Fuglistaller, 6 Sean McMahon, 5 Luke Jones, 4 Hugh Pyle, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Pat Leafa, 1 Toby Smith
Replacements: Steve Fualau, Paul Alo-Emile, Cadeyrn Neville, Colby Fainga’a, Ben Meehan, Telusa Veainu, Tom Kingston, Max Lahiff, Jason Woodward, Lopeti Timani.
Referee: James Leckie
Assistant referees: Damien Mitchelmore, Tim Clough