The live call from Rugby WA.....well done whoever it is....
http://www.westernforce.com.au/verve...logo_small.jpgVERSUShttp://www.westernforce.com.au/verve...logo_small.jpg18Subiaco Oval, Perth172Tries21Conversions22Penalties10Drop Goals0
FULL TIME -Emirates Western Force 18 Hurricanes 17. Wow, what a way to break the 'hoodoo'! Almost 30,000 West Aussies are on their feet screaming for their team! I don't think I've ever used this many exclamation marks in my life! What a super win for the WA side; a first ever. The Reds next week now. See you later - I'm off to celebrate!
TRY!!! Cam Shepherd has scored! Siren goes! Conversion to come... for the win... YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! From the sideline and under huge pressure, the winger steps up and the Force WIN by a point!!
77 mins and try to the Canes scored by Gopperth. Terrible decision by the ref as Gopperth lost that one forward. Gopperth converts, 17-11.
Big moment as the TMO rules that Neemia Tialata lost the ball in the act of scoring the try. Very tight call for George Ayoub. Chris O'Young replaces Henjak. Hayden Hopgood on for serge Lilo.
Big breakout from Drew Mitchell, but his pass to Shep is a shocker and that's a bombed try right there...
71 mins and Jimmy Gopperth replaces Smylie.
68 mins - Hodgson on for Pocock. Lots of changes, not much scoring. Crowd tonight is 27,648.
65 mins - Chris Smylie and Mahonri Schwalger replace Mathewson and Tone Kopelani respectively.
61 mins - Brad Mika replaces Bernie Upton
58 mins - Anthony Perenise replaces John Schwalger.
Stewart misses a penalty from 45m, 56 mins gone
Penalty goal kicked by Shep from right in front after the canes were offside. Home side leads 11-10 after 54 mins.
53 mins and Luke Andrews is back from the sin bin
52 mins - Tamati Ellison replaces Umaga
50 mins - Brendan Cannon replaces Tai McIsaac
46 mins - Angus Scott replaces AJ Whalley.
45 mins and a penalty to the Canes is awarded about 27m out. Stewart lines up the kick, and slots it easily. Hurricanes 10 Force 8.
Back in action, Force on attack and a penalty is awarded right in front of the sticks. Yellow card for Luke Andrews for tackling Junior Pelesasa without the ball. Shep kicks the goal, Force up 8-7 in the 43rd min.
HALF TIME - Emirates Western Force 5 Hurricanes 7. Hurricanes probably had the better of that half, and could be further in front if they had turned some big overlaps into points. The Force had a couple of chances, notably Henjak passing into touch with one defender to beat. Looks like we could be in for a close one here at Subi yet again.
Force in good position here with 90 seconds left in the half. Scrum 22m out... 4 phases and a penalty to the Canes, who kick it out.
36 mins and Tana Umaga barges over for a try from a couple of metres out. Stewart converts to give the Hurricanes a 7-5 lead.
Hurricanes having most of the play at the moment, camped inside the 22.
Great play by young Canes winger David Smith - he has some serious jet shoes. Dropped ball after a big hit by Nathan Sharpe causes the turnover though.
Pusey on the sideline with his right ankle heavily iced up. Not good news.
25 mins in now and the Canes are awarded a free kick inside the Force 22, but big Thomas Waldrom knocks on trying to take the tap. Force awarded a penalty soon after, and Giteau clears with a huge drop punt.
21 mins - Dave Pusey replaced by Rudi Vedelago. Pusey injured it would seem.
15 mins and a penalty to the Hurricanes. Blair Stewart misses the kick from about 33 metres out
Good starts from both teams here. Force given a penalty for a spear tackle on Matt Henjak there, ugle one from Alby Mathewson.
4 mins and it's a try to Drew Mitchell! Great start from the home side. Second phase ball from a Nathan Sharpe lineout win, Fava hit it up in midfield and a quick recycle gave Mitchell room to move and he beat his man on the outside to score in the corner. Shepherd can't convert from the sideline, 5-0.
Teams have run out onto Subi. No sun for the teams to deal with this week. The Emirates Western Force will run towards the Eastern end. Hurricanes to kick off, Mark Lawrence is our referee.
Very very late change - Staniforth has been ruled out! Big loss in terms of experience for the Force. Digby Ioane comes into the XV, Scott Daruda on the bench. That was truly a last minute change; Daruda had the water runner's armband on during the warm up.
15 mins til kick off on a cool, windy night here in Perth. The mighty John XXIII College have won the curtain raiser in the Welborn Cup. They beat CBC 16-7 to go on to the Semi Finals.
About an hour til kick off here... changes to both sides from the teams named during the week. Troy Takiari is out with a leg injury, replaced in the starting XV by AJ Whalley. For the Hurricanes - Ma'a Nonu has been ruled out and Tamati Ellison will be on the reserves bench.
Emirates Western Force vs Hurricanes. Kickoff 7.45pm WA time, Friday 9 March.
http://www.westernforce.com.au/css/images/tileUp.gifhttp://www.westernforce.com.au/css/images/tileDown.gif
window.onload=scrolltextInit
