Queensland Reds number eight and Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson is urging his in-form team to push for a home Super Rugby play-off match, improving their chance of avoiding another early exit in the finals.
The Reds climbed from sixth to fourth with a 30-21 home win over the ACT Brumbies on Saturday night, a third successive defeat for the struggling Canberra side, who drop to sixth.
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Both teams scored three converted tries in greasy conditions but three Reds penalty goals proved the difference, including a successful late shot from Ben Volavola that made the outcome safe.
Trailing 20-7 early in the second half, the Brumbies went ahead through close-range tries to Rob Valetini and David Feliuai, before the home side responded with a try to Seru Uru.
Still a month out from the play-offs, Wilson said the Reds want to avoid the pattern of the last four seasons.
On each occasion they've finished in a lowly qualifying spot and been eliminated immediately in a finals match away from Brisbane.
Wilson, the Wallabies captain, said the Reds' sixth win of the season has boosted their hopes of qualifying in the top three for the six-team finals.
"Ultimately we'd love to try and get in the top three. You'd love to have a home quarter final," he told Stan Sport.
"This year we've been up and down, but we've probably had three consistent performances in a row here and it's a challenge to do it for the next, I guess, four weeks."
Backrower Wilson had praise for two fellow-Wallabies forwards -- Fraser McReight and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto -- for their impact against the Brumbies.
He said flanker McReight was "one of the best sevens in the world" after pulling off several ruck turnovers, while lock Salakaia-Loto had become the "leader of our pack" with his physicality.
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham admitted three straight losses were "unusual circumstances" for a team who have been Australia's strongest in recent seasons.
"We just couldn't close the game out again and we've seen it all year with Super Rugby, the games are coming down to the wire and you've got to be good in the last stretch," Larkham told reporters.
"It was a better performance from from our guys compared to the last two weeks I feel. But it's very disappointing to come up short again."
