Force secure dominant bonus point win over Drua

Fri, May 12, 2023, 12:22 PM
WM
by Western Force Media

The Western Force got back into the winning column in Round 12 of Super Rugby Pacific, continuing their dominance at home with a 20-point win at HBF Park.

The 34-14 victory capped off a very impressive start to the weekend for Australian Rugby.

The Force got the job done against a fiery Fijian Drua side who came into the clash hot after an amazing upset against the Hurricanes in Suva last weekend.

The men in blue charged out of the gate and were handy with the boot to help gain territory, gaining some crucial steals around the ruck early to regain possession.

The positive territory gave the Force a handy early try through Manasa Mataele, keeping his try-scoring streak alive and giving the home side the start they needed.

The counter ruck seemed to be the Force's key weapon entering the game as Folau Fainga'a crashed over to get his side's second try in quick succession.

After a quick try from Drua the Force were quick to regain momentum going to Mataele for metres as he continued to be devastating with ball in hand.

Heading into halftime, it turned into an arm wrestle as the Force held back multiple Drua attempts at the line.

Eventually, Drua got one back to take the lead by two points with only eight minutes remaining in the first half.

Max Burey nailed a penalty to give his side the lead heading into halftime, Burey capped off an impressive first half, directing his backline well alongside Sam Spink, who also had an impactful opening to the clash.

Carlo Tizzano in RD12 Western Force win over Fijian Drua

Straight into the second half, the Force made a statement and shocked the entire stadium with a try in the first minute through Jeremy Williams who powered past three defenders to score.

After both teams traded possession, the Force were able to string some phases together and make an attempt at the line, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa linked with Hamish Stewart well to create space.

However, another good defensive effort saw Drua hold the Force off to make their own attempt to no avail, as errors plagued both sides through the middle of the second half.

Eventually, the Force created the buffer they needed through Fainga'a's second try of the night, scoring off the back of a rolling maul.

The Force looked confident closing the match as they looked to seal the all-important bonus point try.

The local boy and UWA product Carlo Tizzano sealed the game-winning try with a barnstorming run over the line for his first points since his return to the West.

The hosts closed it out with some clinical defence which saw them cap off their fourth home win of the season, sealing HBF Park's moniker as a fortress for the Western Force.

Scorers Force 34 Tries: Manasa Mataele, Folau Fainga'a 2, Jeremy Williams, Carlo Tizzano Conversion: Max Burey 2 Penalty: Burey

Drua 14 Tries: Eroni Sau, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta Conversion: Frank Lomani 2 Penalty: Frank Lomani

Match report RD12 Western Force

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