Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Pool C - Australia v Portugal - Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, France - October 1, 2023 Australia's Fraser Mcreight scores their fourth try REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
MELBOURNE (Reuters) -The Queensland Reds will be without scrumhalf Tate McDermott and loose forward Fraser McReight for key matches against New Zealand sides in Super Rugby Pacific after the Wallabies duo were given three-week bans for red cards.
McDermott was given a yellow card, later upgraded to red, for striking Irie Papuni with a swinging arm in a tackle during the 17-14 loss to Moana Pasifika in Whangarei last Friday.
"He's ridden that hard, as he would," Reds coach Les Kiss told reporters in Brisbane on Tuesday.
"It's uncharacteristic but it's been dealt with, we'll move on."
McReight was also upgraded to a red card for a high tackle on Moana's William Havili as the Reds slumped to their third successive loss.
McReight can reduce his ban by a week if he participates in World Rugby's "coaching intervention" process for high tackles.
The sixth-placed Reds have been further depleted by the loss of lock Seru Uru, who will be sidelined for four-six weeks with a thumb injury, Kiss said, while centre Josh Flook is in doubt for Friday's home match against Otago Highlanders with a shoulder problem.
Kiss added that former Wallabies flyhalf James O'Connor is set for another week out as he deals with a troublesome hamstring injury.
The injuries and suspensions have come at a bad time for the Reds (3-4), who face the formidable Auckland Blues after the Highlanders and then have an away match against the Canterbury Crusaders.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
