The Western Force’s dreams of an historic maiden Super Rugby Men’s U16 Grand Final berth are all but over following a hard-fought 24-12 loss to the Queensland Reds on Sunday.
With both sides knowing Sunday’s winner would practically secure a Grand Final spot, the game was fiercely contested in rainy conditions at Southern Lions RUFC.
The Force have never made the Grand Final of a Super Rugby Men’s U16s or U19s campaign but had their fate in their own hands after two strong wins over Victoria and the ACT Brumbies earlier in the season.
The home side showed plenty of heart, fighting right up until the end and scoring the game’s only try of the second half.
But the Reds prevailed after scoring four tries to one in the first 35, including two inside the opening 10 minutes, with their powerful forward pack on top.
For the Force, Joondalup Brothers pair Johan Oosthuizen and Leeson Tiakia scored their tries.
The result means the Reds move into second spot on nine points ahead of the Force in third – also on nine points – due to a vastly superior plus/minus differential. The Force have the Round 5 bye and would require an unlikely significantly heavy Reds’ loss against the Brumbies to move into second.
The Reds jumped the Force in the opening 10 minutes, with back-rower Matti Gill burrowing over after Harry Dowling’s flick, before Nate Te Whitu came up with their second for a 12-0 lead.
The Force hit back in the 12th minute after Lachlan Ilott won a turnover, with Joondalup scrum-half Oosthuizen scoring from a pick and go.
The home side, who lost lock Enzo Kyle to a shoulder injury early, was reduced to 14 with hooker Jamie Mackenzie carded before the Reds scored from the ensuing lineout via Gill, before Reds flanker Fraser Boakes added another in the left corner for a 24-5 lead.
Despite the margin, the Force kept pushing with high intensity knowing a Grand Final berth was at stake, forcing turnovers and keeping the Reds honest.
Palmyra fly-half Longoatu Jr Vaka exploded with a line break inside the 22, leading to Reds’ 10 Charlie Meredith’s yellow card, but the Force couldn’t capitalise.
The Force continued to mount pressure without reward in the second half as the rain persisted. The home side came close on the hour, with a scrum within 5m of the try line, only to lose from a knock-on.
Reds reserve Seth Chapman twice thought he’d scored, only for the Force’s steely defence to find a way to deny him.
Instead it would be the Force who scored the only points of the second half with Tiakia diving over after a period of sustained pressure to deny the Reds a bonus point win.
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Western Force 12
Tries: Oosthuizen (12’), Tiakia (68’)
Conversions: Heke 1/2
Penalties: Nil
Queensland Reds 24
Tries: Gill 2x (4’, 15’), Te Whitu (9’), Boakes (19’)
Conversions: Meredith 2/4
Penalties: Nil
