Breathtaking ball-in-hand rugby, brutal counter rucking and defence, plus ruthless decision making all over the field: The Chiefs weren’t just a different class to the Queensland Reds in Friday’s Super Rugby quarterfinal – they seemed to be playing a completely different sport.

It finished 43-21 after 80 minutes but if it had been a boxing bout it would have been called inside 25 as the Chiefs stormed to a 28-0 lead and never eased off. The Reds managed three ties in the second half but were never in it.

Everywhere you looked, in almost every position, the Chiefs were dominant.

“The Reds got taught a lesson in how to play quarterfinal footy in every aspect of the game – defence attack and vision,” said Tim Horan on Stan Sport.

Damian McKenzie was pulling the strings of a purring attack, Shaun Stevenson entered the line with power, the loose forwards – particularly Wallace Sititi – were rampant and it seemed like they had 10 men in their tight five.

It would be unfair to pin the disastrous defeat on Tom Lynagh, who was taken off after 52 minutes, but this will have done nothing, against a likely All Blacks No.10, to convince Joe Schmidt he’s ready for international footy.

“What’s impressive about [McKenzie’s] play is that as a 10, there’s not many around the world, look at Quade Cooper, when you look up, you just don’t see jerseys, but you see slower defenders,” said Horan.

“You pinpoint where you want to run, and how do you set those players up outside, and he attracts two, sometimes three defenders. He comes from deep, flattens the attack up with his quick ball. A masterclass from the number 10 tonight.”

The Reds had travelled to New Zealand giving themselves every hope and with some players in good form but not one of them will be happy with what transpired or their personal performances – although Tate McDermott finished with two tries.

And it really was over before it had barely begun.

The game was just 40 seconds old when Ryan Smith was robbed of the ball by Samipeni Finau and it set the stage for what was to come.

A high bomb from DMac on three minutes was well taken by Reds fullback Jock Campbell under intense pressure from Anton Leinert-Brown but the support didn’t arrive in time and Chiefs won the counter ruck turnover.

They stormed forward, leaving Hunter Paisami caught off side. Soon after the resulting lineout Samisoni Taukei’aho, running upright with awesome power, shrugged Lynagh aside and neither Fraser McReight nor McDermott could stop him charging over.

The Chiefs were over again a few minutes later.

Stevenson came into the backline off DMac and cut out two Chiefs runners to find Sititi out wide right. As the cover arrived the No.8 passed inside to send Emoni Narawa in for the five-pointer.

Queensland were trying to find scraps to feed on, but they were starving to death. A charge down from Lynagh promised hope but as he brought in the bouncing ball, McKenzie was there to crash him to the deck and win the penalty.

The Chiefs attack was relentless and it was soon 21-0 thanks to a freakish try.

Stevenson found space down the right wing and with the touchline rapidly approaching in the windscreen he flicked a back hand pass to Narawa.

The Reds thought they’d cleaned the winger up over the side but he threw a hail Mary inside.

Even then, the Reds should have dealt with it, but Smith and Campbell failed to communicate and a thankful Taukei’aho scooped it up and ran it over for a second try.

It was 21-0 before the Reds, with 30 percent possession, entered the Chiefs red zone for the first time.

Matt Faessler claimed a try by it was called back for a second movement and the chance went.

The Chiefs’ response? A glorious try.

They won another counter ruck in midfield through lock Tupou Vaa’i and from there McKenzie found Stevenson with a deft chip. The fullback then chipped as well and Etene Nanai Seturo used soft hands to pick up the rolling ball finished beautifully.

Wallaby centre Paisami watched the ball placed down with a air of utter dejection.

The Reds tried to cut the margin before the break, and were able to threaten from a close range penalty after McDermott was clattered late by a leaping Nanai Seturo. Referee Ben O’Keeffe decided penalty only, ignoring Reds claims for a yellow.

Soon after the Reds came close, but Fraser McReight’s drive for the tryline was denied by the outstretched leg of Vaa’i. McReight could only smile – by that stage if you did’t laugh you’d cry.

A McKenzie penalty made it 31-0 and it was game over, despite a much better second-half showing.

McDermott crossed twice and Lawson Creighton added a third but the Chiefs kept them safely at arms length with two tries of their own.

There were words of comfort for the Australians from All Blacks great Jeff Wilson.

“They’ve shown in the second half what they’re capable of,” he said. “They’ve got to be excited about their future. Some blokes have been exposed to Super Rugby for the first time. They might not have got the result tonight but there’s some huge future for this group.”

“They’ve toughed it out,” said Horan. “When you go in at the break 31-0 the side could have given up but hey showed a lot of toughness in the second half.”