The Western Force put a much-improved performance on the park during their second clash of the year against a strong Queensland Reds side going down by 14 points in what was a scrappy contest.
Super Rugby Pacific celebrated Culture Round as the Force boys went to war at Suncorp Stadium playing a physical brand of rugby in the 31-17 contest.
It took no time for both sides to get stuck into each other, with the Force playing good eyes-up rugby in the first five minutes, attacking space well.
Looking to replicate the dream start they had last weekend, the Force were on fire to start the game, scoring the first five points through Zach Kibirge, punishing the Reds after a number of handling errors with a try in the corner.
Returning from the UK, hometown hero Carlo Tizzano got involved early in his return game, working hard around the ruck.
Queensland responded well by retaining possession and running through 17 phases before scoring their first try through Fraser McReight.
The home side hit their stride and scored the next two tries before halftime, dominating most of the possession, making it hard for the Force to play their brand of rugby.
The first half was a defensive grind for the Force as the side needed to return to the performance they showed in the first ten minutes of the match.
The side looked dangerous with ball in a hand, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa and Sam Spink were impressive at times when the Force were on the attack.
Entering the second half both sides had two major omissions, with the Force’s Tim Anstee staying on the side line due to a head knock and James O’Conner also subbed by the Reds.
The Force had a solid start to the second half and did well to value the ball and build a number of phases that put pressure on the Reds’ defence.
Finally, the pressure paid off as skipper Michael Wells did a fancy spin move off the ruck to score, setting the Force up well for their comeback hopes with the score sitting at 21-10.
The match turned into a defensive arm wrestle for the Force, defending back on their own line for a long time, denying three potential Queensland tries.
Eventually, the Reds were able to push over to push themselves up by 18 points, beating some absolutely rock-solid defence from the men in black and gold.
The game started to open up in the final ten minutes of the contest with both teams starting to throw the ball around. Forces’ back three of Manasa Mataele, George Poolman and Zach Kibirge handled a barrage of Reds’ kicks well.
The defensive pressure from the Force paid off as Kibirge added to his six-game try scoring streak with an intercept that saw him run in untouched.
The try put the Force right back into the game with an 11-point margin, benefitting the men from the West who have a history of finishing strong.
Tom Lynagh secured a late penalty that pushed the hosts just out of reach, finishing a gruelling clash that saw a well-drilled Force side put on an impressive performance.
Scorers
Reds 31
Tries: Fraser McReight 2, Matt Faessler, Josh Flook, George Blake
Conversion: Lawson Creighton 3, Tom Lynagh
Penalties: Tom Lynagh
Force 17
Tries: Zach Kibirge 2, Michael Wells
Conversion: Prior
