The Western Force has survived a late Brisbane City fightback to secure its first-ever home semi-final in the National Rugby Championship.
The Force led 33-14 with ten minutes to play and Brisbane had a chance after the siren with a conversion kick to level the scores. The kick narrowly missed, and the Force hung on in a thriller 33-31.
However, the win came at a cost with captain Ian Prior suffering a broken wrist, Brynard Stander leaving the pitch in the first half with a knee injury and Johann Bardoul forced from the ground late with a leg injury.
Bardoul was unable to be replaced because the Force used its allotted substitutions and when Cameron Orr was then sent from the field with a yellow card, the team was left to defend a fast-finishing Brisbane for the last two minutes with just thirteen men.
Andrew Deegan led the way for the Western Force and made four of five conversions to help secure the four points that take the Force clear at the top of the NRC table, securing a top-two spot heading into next week’s final round fixture against Sydney.
A tight first half hour saw both teams exchange tries with neither able to establish dominance. The Force forward pack managed to maul their way over the line with hooker Heath Tessmann opening the scoring side after eleven minutes.
With half time beckoning the game sprung to life, with three tries.
Brisbane’s ill-discipline would prove the difference on the stroke of half time. The Force took full advantage of back to back penalties to set up another rolling maul. Towering lock Jeremy Thrush crashed over the line to snatch a seven-point lead after the siren.
At the break flanker Tevin Ferris told Western Force social media “we need to make our first up tackles we need to get in front of them and put them on the deck early”. Unfortunately, the men in blue’s defence almost proved to be their undoing.
The Force fired out of the sheds for the second half, a scintillating break from mercurial winger Leon Feke saw the ball find its way to front-rowers Tessmann then Tom Sheminant who scored.
The Force was over again soon after, the dominant forward pack setting another short-range rolling maul and Kaitu’u dotted down to extend the margin to nineteen points.
However, that is when momentum swung in favour of the Queenslanders.
Tries to lock Adam Korczyk and two to winger Jordan Luke closed the gap. The last try left fullback Bryce Hegarty with a touchline conversion to tie the game. Hegarty missed narrowly to the near side of the left post and the Force hung on.
RetraVision Man of the Match: Andrew Deegan
Western Force 33 – 31 Brisbane City
(Half time: Western Force 21 – 14 Brisbane City)
Western Force: 33
Tries: Kaitu’u, Sheminant, Thrush, Placid, Tessmann
Cons: Deegan 4
Brisbane City: 31
Tries: Luke 2, Korczyk, Lucas, Uru
Cons: Hegerty 3
Next game:
Round 7
Sydney vs Western Force
Saturday, October 12 | Kick-off 9am AWST
Woollahra Oval, Sydney
All games will be streamed on Rugby.com.au
