The NSW Waratahs made a successful start to the Daryl Gibson era and inflicted more misery on arch rivals Queensland with a 30-10 win in their opening-round Super rugby match in Sydney.
The Tahs scored four tries to one on Saturday night, racking up their fifth straight win over the Reds, in front of 24,044 spectators at Allianz Stadium.
The bonus-point performance emulated the Brumbies' effort against the Hurricanes and set up an early season blockbuster between the two leading Australian franchises on Friday in Canberra.
The Tahs showed plenty of sparkle before the break with the new playmaking duo of five-eighth Kurtley Beale and inside centre David Horwitz prominent.
They lost some gloss after halftime as Queensland's pack fought hard to earn their side a foothold in the game.
First-half tries to captain and openside flanker Michael Hooper, winger Matt Carraro and debutant Horwitz set up a 20-0 halftime buffer for the home team.
Hooper crashed over from close range, Carraro pounced on a loose ball and the impressive Horwitz touched down after toeing the ball ahead.
The Reds showed more fight against a less-impressive Waratahs outfit after the break, scoring 10 unanswered points in the third quarter.
Five-eighth Jake McIntyre dummied his way over for the visitors' only try just before the hour.
Needing to get three tries ahead of the Reds to earn a bonus point, the Tahs crossed for their fourth five-pointer in the 62nd minute, when impressive halfback Nick Phipps won the chase to a Beale kick.
The Reds contributed to their downfall with some poor discipline, conceding four penalties in the first eight minutes and had a man sin-binned in each half.
Referee Angus Gardner warned Queensland captain and lock Rob Simmons in the eighth minute, after his team had conceded those first four penalties, that the Reds risked having someone sent to the bin if they didn't clean up their act.
Simmons didn't heed the warning as he was sin-binned five minutes later.
No-nonsense Australian official Gardner also delivered a stern lecture to both front rows just before halftime.
In the second half, he sin-binned two reserve props, the Reds' Sam Talaki and the Waratahs' Jeremy Tilse.
An injury to centre and Reds debutant Henry Taefu meant Japanese World Cup star back Ayumu Goromaru was on after just 27 minutes, a bonus for the large Japanese media contingent attending the game.
He scored the Reds' first points from a 37-metre penalty in the 45th minute, missed with another attempt from slightly further out a few minutes later, but converted McIntyre's try.
The Reds created some try-scoring opportunities in the first half, but were denied by strong Waratahs defence.
Fullback Israel Folau pulled off a try saver on Queensland counterpart and fellow code-hopper Karmichael Hunt and Beale earned massive home-crowd applause for a front-on tackle on Chris Feauai-Sautia, which denied the Reds' back a five-pointer.
"I think the first 30 minutes epitomised the style of play we want to aim for this season and then after that I thought we got a little bit messy," new Waratahs' coach Gibson said.
"Particularly in the second half we failed to capitalise and put sustained pressure on the Reds we ended up making a great deal of tackles.
"We let ourselves down with sloppy errors that killed us.
"At times our lineout faltered and and also just some skills with holding the ball for two or three consecutive phases and I think in the second half we failed to do that and it allowed the Reds to come back into the game."
He was impressed with Horwitz's defensive effort against dangerous Reds' centre Samu Kerevi and the performance of No.8 Jed Holloway.
Reserve prop Benn Robinson suffered a broken nose and had concussion symptoms which could put him in doubt for next Friday's game.
Graham said the extent of Taefu's foot injury had to be determined.
"At halftime I felt we were well and truly in the game," Graham said.
"We created enough opportunities, enough linebreaks in that first half to be in the game, but discipline in the first half and a number of turnovers wasn't good enough."
Simmons accepted responsibility for his sin-binning saying "it was my fault, I was offside and that's fair."
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