Western Force bounced back into finals contention with a crucial, battling bonus point 29-20 win over the Highlanders in their Round 8 SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific clash at HBF Park on Saturday night.
They jumped into fourth place, outscoring the visitors five tries to two, dragging themselves back from 13 points down to score 22 unanswered points and keeping the Highlanders pointless for 53 minutes.
The Force bounced back from their previous round heartbreak 28-24 loss to the Reds and now head into a bye.
They had five try scorers: flanker Carlo Tizzano, his 11th of the season, hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, full-back Mac Grealy, and wingers Harry Potter and George Poolman. Playmaker Ben Donaldson converted two.
Both sides employed a different kicking strategy in the first period. The Highlanders chipped behind the Force centrefield defence, the Force gave the ball plenty of air.
Both sides also looked to play an expansive game that brought errors and openings but neither was able to capitalise.
The Dunedin-based side targeted the Force scrum, putting them under plenty of pressure, and winning several first half-penalties at the set-piece.
They also began to dictate the collision, getting to the breakdown early, before looking to get outside the Force defence.
The Force suffered a blow when Wallabies winger Dylan Peitsch was forced from the field with an injury after just seven minutes.
The visitors opened the scoring with a 10th minute penalty from Sam Gilbert but the Force hit back almost immediately, Tizzano reaping the rewards of a strong rolling maul. Donaldson converted.
The lead lasted only a couple of minutes when Highlanders winger Jona Nareki skipped through a couple of tackles. Gilbert converted.
Three minutes later Gilbert was on the end of a turnover and counter-strike from inside his side's half.
He added the extras and then a second penalty - but it was the Highlanders last points of the game.
With three minutes of the first half remaining the Force again went to their maul and this time it was Paenga-Amosa who crashed over. Donaldson converted to reduce the Highlanders lead to six points.
And then, in one of their most patient multi-phase periods, the Force dominated contact before going wide where Grealy was waiting to step through to the line after the siren.
The Force had clawed their way back into the game, down just one point, 19-20, at the half-time.
They looked rejuvenated after the break but missed a chance to take the lead as the ball pinballed around close to the line after a great catch and break from Poolman.
But there was no stopping Potter five minutes into the half when he finished off a fine passing move and took a knee to the head from Highlanders No.8 Sean Withy for his effort.
Withy was yellow-carded and upgraded to a red.
While Potter was under HIA tests his replacement Max Burey used some great footwork to crack the line and find Poolman to score.
Numbers were evened up when Force centre Sio Tompkinson was yellow-carded against his former side, and in his 50th Super game, after lifting Gilbert over the horizontal.
The Force then applied immense pressure.
Frantic attack, a couple of attacking line-outs, Tompkinson back from the sin-bin, another yellow-card to the Highlanders to Nareki for repeated offences, but they could not find the knock-out blow.
But they did not need the killer blow, instead a massive defensive effort as time ticked away, ending with Tizzano making a crucial tackle to save the bonus point, did the trick.
Western Force 29
Tries: Tizzano (13), Paenga- Amosa (36), Grealy (40+2), Potter (45), Poolman (52)
Conversions: Donaldson 2/2
Penalties: Donaldson Nil
Highlanders 20
Tries: Nareki (16), Gilbert (19)
Conversions: Gilbert 2/2
Penalties: Gilbert 2/2
Crowd: 6,505 @ HBF Park
Western Force Match Report, Powered by Altrad
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