Fighting Force U19s fall to Reds despite second-half rally

Scrum-half Tafito Ahki scored a double but the Western Force couldn’t find an avenue to victory, going down 45-17 to the Queensland Reds in wet conditions at Revo Fitness Stadium on Sunday.

The contest was tighter than the scoreline suggested, but the Reds were clinical, regularly turning defence into attack with blistering efficacy.

The Force actually scored three of the game’s final five tries, but were playing catch-up after Queensland dotted five times in the first 40 to lead 33-5 at the break.

Queensland claimed a bonus point with their seven-tries-to-three triumph, meaning the Force are mired in fourth on five points from three games, behind the NSW Waratahs (14 points), Reds (10) and ACT (10).

The Force’s final round-robin game is against the Waratahs on Sunday 27 October at Revo Fitness Stadium.

Queensland had several phases attacking the Force try line before eventually breaking through off the back of a driving maul from hooker Finlay King. Brody McLaren converted.

Two minutes later, the Reds had a second, going end to end after Vaiuta Latu’s line break, before Daniel Malum’s kick which bounced for McLaren to cross for a 14-0 lead.

Boston Fakafanua forced a turnover with a huge shot on Reds captain Xavier Rubens, with the Force coming close with that possession as Joondalup midfielder Oakley Pearce was held up.

As the rain started to pour, the Reds turned defence into attack to score their third, with Dre-Dyn Laban’s kick bouncing fortuitously leading to Rubens scoring, before they added another following scrum-half Callum Reidy’s box kick which Daniel Malum grounded.

Force forward Josiah Marks almost got in following a chargedown, before Reds lock Fergus Gillan was yellow carded for a high tackle on Fakafanua. From that play, the Force spread to the right, with Ahki dummying at the shortside to squeeze in for a try.

Just as the Force thought they could launch a comeback, the Reds scored after the siren, with another kick leading to McLaren dotting for a 33-5 half-time lead.

The rain cleared up for the second half but so did the scoring, with no points until the Force broke the deadlock just prior to the hour through Ahki again. Reserve Henry James converted to offer hope of a comeback.

But the Reds dulled those remote hopes quickly, with reserve hooker John Grenfell getting over from a rolling maul.

The Force persisted and eventually got rewared with a third try after Daniel Christodoulou came close, with James’ cut-out pass finding Tevita Ali-Bene't Alatini to score.

The Reds had the final say, with Malum grabbing a double to ensuring a bonus point with a try on the full-time siren in the right corner.

Western Force 17

Tries: Ahki 2x (39’, 57’), Alatini (74’)

Conversions: Prass 0/1, James 1/2

Penalties: Nil

Queensland Reds 45

Tries: King (7’), McLaren 2x (9’, 40’), Rubens (18’), Malum (33’, 80'), Grenfell (61’)

Conversions: McLaren 4/5, McKay 1/2

Penalties: Nil