Following a 31-3 defeat at the hands of the Crusaders last weekend, the Brumbies poured more misery on the Reds with a 31-18 victory that was typically well-executed and showcased the best of their game as they dotted the i's ahead of their home opener against the Hurricanes.

Queensland looked outgunned across the park and lost key forward Liam Gill - their best player last year by panels - to a shoulder injury after 15 minutes. Flanker Lolo Fakaosilea departed in the second quarter with what looked like a serious knee injury, later downgraded to a hamstring strain.

Rugby is full of "grey areas" when it comes to officiating but that stretched right across the park at Ballymore, with the Brumbies and Reds wearing almost identical grey kits bar a few yellow or red strips around the edges. Someone forgot to text.

If that was confusing enough, equally as puzzling is where the Reds are going to find points in 2016. They have crossed for just two tries in two trials, one after the buzzer and one when the Brumbies had David Pocock contemplating his Cambridge lecture schedule after copping a yellow card.

Japan's World Cup hero and noted sharp-shooter Ayumu Goromaru may be the answer but he was only deployed very late in proceedings by Richard Graham, who must now hope for rapid improvement before they travel to open their campaign against the Waratahs.

A large Japanese media contingent has made a home at Ballymore and were treated to 10 minutes of their idol in action, with Goromaru replacing Karmichael Hunt at fullback deep into the contest.

Hunt, along with backrower Hendrik Tui, had been one of the better players for the Reds and looks a must for Queensland's best XV. That might be in the centres if Goromaru's recruitment blossoms, although it was difficult to gauge his Super Rugby chops on Friday night.

He spent the opening five minutes camped on his own line in defence, before opening his account with a try-saving tackle in the left corner on Nigel Ah Wong.

The Japanese news wires lit up when he kicked a goal from right in front to finish the night after the Reds softened the blow on the scoreboard with a post-script try to Eto Nabuli.

Any win is a good win for the Brumbies at the moment as they fight to retain their star flanker Pocock, who is in the midst of plotting his potential path to the next Rugby World Cup.

The Brumbies are hopeful he will re-sign before the start of the season but with obvious interest from the market and the prospect of a year studying in England, that could be more wishful thinking than a workable time scale.

Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said the club was disappointing with the way news of the ongoing contract negotiations broke earlier in the week but said Pocock was taking it in his stride.

"It was disappointing that it came out the way it came out. Poey and his manager wanted to keep it quiet and tell the right people before it came out. But he's a professional and he's been waiting to play a game for a long time. It was good for him to get out on the field," Larkham said.

Larkham said the Brumbies remained hopeful the matter could be finalised within a month but look set to begin their campaign with Pocock's future still to be settled.

Queensland had Gill for just 15 minutes after he was injured stopping a flying Joe Tomane. The injury to Fakaosilea looked more serious, especially given the thin ranks of big men at Ballymore, but may not have been as bad as it first appeared despite him being in pain as he was aided from the park.

The Brumbies looked to escape with a relatively clean bill of health.