Western Force captain Jeremy Williams described the side’s 20-minute fadeout against the Hurricanes as like “getting punched in the face” after going down 31-23 on Friday night.
The Force impressed in the first 40 and led 11-5 early in the second half before the Hurricanes responded, fuelled by a stacked bench, with four tries inside 20 minutes.
The WA side rallied late with two more tries, from Darby Lancaster and Nathan Hastie, but the damage was done after the Hurricanes’ burst.
“That first 20 in the second half we got punched in the face a bit,” Williams told Sky after the game.
“Really great reply in the end. Only if there was five more minutes, eh?”
The result ended the Force’s three-game New Zealand tour with defeat, meaning the side took four points from the trio of games, falling short of bonus points in all three.
Williams added: “A lot of positives. It’s no good being close. You’ve got to get the win.
“Lots of positives to take out of tonight. We’ve got a bye week coming up. Good chance to get away from footy. Refresh the mind, refresh the body. Get back to Perth and start ripping in.”
The Force lost the metres gained stats count 461-273 but were excellent with the ball and defensively, having 22-20 defenders beaten and 7-6 clean breaks throughout the game.
The visitors were excellent with their discipline in the first half but the penalty count mounted in the second 40 as the Hurricanes’ impact players applied pressure.
Force coach Simon Cron told Sky: “That 40-60 minute mark today really hurt us. We gave away four penalties in arow and turned the ball over four times. That’s eight chances for the Hurricanes.”
Cron, however, was pleased with their first half, with the side leading 8-5 at the break after Lancaster’s try and Ben Donaldson’s three-pointer while keeping the Canes to just one try of their own.
“Defensively we got a lot of double shoulders (in the first half),” Cron said. “We were able to control the gain line in that first half. Previously we’d get one or two then we’d leak.
“Going into the second half, it was the ability to stay disciplined and control the ball.”
Cron was pleased with the side’s depth this season and said they’re unlikely to change personnel too much, aided by next round’s bye.
“We don’t want to change them too much,” he said. “We’re trying to build cohesion every year. That’s a big one.
“For us, ideally the guys who’ve been out there, they keep playing. We give them more minutes and we keep those combinations going and we don’t make those errors.”
Zac Lomax is due to arrive in Perth during the Force’s bye, with Cron excited to link up with the NRL convert.
“He’s a great man,” Cron said. “The conversations I’ve had with him have been amazing.
“He’s really driven. He’s talented. He’s been wanting to play rugby the whole time. He’s biting at the bit to play rugby. He feels like that’s his future.”
On his likely position, Cron said: “We don’t have to coach him how him to do a high ball and how to kick. He can run, he’s powerful. We’ve just got to be able to give him the parts of the game he needs.
“In season, winger and 15 are the ones we’d target for him early on. Coaching him backfield coverage and positioning are the key.”
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After the Round 6 bye, the Force will host the Chiefs on Saturday 28 March in the club’s Grass Roots Game. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
