FORCE CLAIMS ONE-POINT WIN OVER HIGHLANDERS

[Darren]

A 79th-minute penalty goal to Jayden Hayward has kicked the Emirates Western Force to a 19-18 win over the Highlanders at nib Stadium tonight.

The Force fullback was awarded the penalty when he was taken out after kicking by Highlanders No.8 Mose Tuiali’i, before the fledgling goal kicker coolly slotted the angled attempt to claim the victory.

The win was reward for another determined team defensive effort, holding the Highlanders try-less, despite being a man down when Alby Mathewson received a yellow card after 61 minutes.

The one-point triumph was a fitting result to mark Ben McCalman’s 50th match for the club, with the rampaging back-rower figuring heavily in the performance to claim man-of-the-match honours.

Emirates Western Force Head Coach Michael Foley said the win was testament to the side’s ongoing work ethic.

“I’m very pleased for the players,” he said. “They’ve displayed character in every game we’ve played this year.

“Obviously we’ve had a lot of close losses, but to get a close win and be in that situation when we’re playing with 14 men in our own 22 against a side that had a lot of attacking threats, I thought was a fantastic reward for all the work that’s gone in from the boys.”

The Emirates Western Force’s intent was clear from the outset when the side’s first attacking raid spanned 23 phases deep inside the Highlanders’ 22m line.

The created pressure reaped dividends at the 17-minute mark when Hayward broke through from a second-man play only to be hauled in a metre short from the line. However, from the ensuing phase, Mathewson found Sias Ebersohn, who dived over in the corner for his maiden try for the Force.

Hayward’s touch line conversion launched a goal-kicking shootout with Highlanders flyhalf Hayden Parker, with the Otago pivot landing two first half penalty goals to Hayward’s one, with the Force up 10-6 at the break.

When the second half resumed, it was replacement playmaker Colin Slade who traded penalties with Hayward to have the Force leading 16-12 after 59 minutes.

When referee Andrew Lees marched Mathewson at the hour mark, the Force first denied a rampaging Ma’a Nonu a try before repelling seven minutes of intense pressure, conceding just a penalty goal.

The Highlanders claimed their first taste of the lead with four minutes remaining when Slade landed a 50-metre penalty to hold an 18-16 margin, however, Hayward’s final vital three-points provided the Force with the win and extended their unbeaten run over the Highlanders to five matches.

The Emirates Western Force will receive the week off courtesy of the bye before taking on the British & Irish Lions (Wednesday, 5 June) and the NSW Waratahs (Sunday, 9 June) in Perth.

2013 Super Rugby – Week 15
Saturday, 25 May 2013 at nib Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 5.40pm

Emirates Western Force 19 (Sias Ebersohn try; Jayden Hayward conversion, 4 penalties) defeated Highlanders 18 (Colin Slade 4 penalties, Hayden Parker 2 penalties)
Emirates Western Force: 1. Pek Cowan, 2. Heath Tessmann, 3. Kieran Longbottom, 4. Toby Lynn, 5. Sam Wykes, 6. Matt Hodgson (c), 7.Chris Alcock, 8. Ben McCalman, 9. Alby Mathewson, 10. Sias Ebersohn, 11. Nick Cummins, 12. Kyle Godwin, 13.Ben Jacobs, 14. Patrick Dellit, 15. Jayden Hayward. Res: 16. James Hilterbrand, 17. Tetera Faulkner, 18. Rory Walton, 19. Richard Brown, 20. Brett Sheehan, 21. Junior Rasolea, 22. Sam Norton-Knight.

Highlanders: 1. Tony Woodcock, 2. Liam Coltman, 3. Ma’afu Fia, 4. Brad Thorn (c), 5. Josh Bekhuis, 6. TK Ioane, 7. John Hardie, 8. Mose Tuiali’I, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Hayden Parker, 11. Hosea Gear, 12. Ma’a Nonu, 13. Tamati Ellison, 14. Jason Emery, 15. Ben Smith. Res: 16. Andrew Hore, 17. Bronson Murray, 18. Joe Wheeler, 19. Elliot Dixon, 20. Fumiaki Tanaka, 21. Colin Slade, 22. Tino Nemani

Yellow Cards: Alby Mathewson
Red Cards: Nil
Referee: Andrew Lees
Crowd: 12, 508

By the clock

Min Details Score
17 Sias Ebersohn Try 5-0
18 Jayden Hayward Conversion 7-0
21 Hayden Parker Penalty Goal 7-3
26 Jayden Hayward Penalty Goal 10-3
28 Hayden Parker Penalty Goal 10-6
40 Jayden Hayward Missed PG 10-6
47 Colin Slade Penalty Goal 10-9
49 Jayden Hayward Penalty Goal 13-9
51 Colin Slade Penalty Goal 13-12
54 Jayden Hayward Missed PG 13-12
59 Jayden Hayward Penalty Goal 16-12
61 Alby Mathewson Sin Bin 16-12
70 Colin Slade Penalty Goal 16-15
75 Colin Slade Missed PG 16-15
77 Colin Slade Penalty Goal 16-18
79 Jayden Hayward Penalty Goal 19-18

[WFDom]

Well done fellas. Nice to see a close win instead of a close loss.

Didn't see the game. How'd young Kyle go against Nonu?

Wins against the Lions, Tahs & Brumbies would go a long way to squaring up us fans for another long hard year of support.

[blueandblack]

Kyle had a fantastic game. Wish it wasn't so close a result though. Didn't realise that anyone had got carded though.

[Gruffalo]

Kyle won that battle , Nonu was shithouse. Alby unlucky as it looked like scrum half had a hand on the ball. Alby did it so well he MUST have been offside ! Great defence agsin
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[Marty_Mcfly]

Kyle did have a very good game. He made some amazing breaks but suffered from a lack of support runners a couple of times.
Lineout seemed to do better, despite the early not straight call. Scrum was under pressure a few times.

The first half was fairly entertaining from the Force, with plenty of running on display. The second half seemed to become one of those games where neither team really wanted to go for the win, but they wanted the loss even less.

Lots of kicking to get out of their own half, and pretty conservative play generally from both sides.
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[SNOB]

The bloody kicking is really getting me down.
It's ok (sometimes) to kick to touch. It's ok (sometimes) to put an up and under up. It's ok SOMETIMES not ALL the bloody time AND you have to CHASE the bloody ball and put PRESSURE on the opposition.
Well done on the win!
What happened to the streakers who appeared to have Highlanders face paint on?

[palitu]

The bloody kicking is really getting me down.
It's ok (sometimes) to kick to touch. It's ok (sometimes) to put an up and under up. It's ok SOMETIMES not ALL the bloody time AND you have to CHASE the bloody ball and put PRESSURE on the opposition.
Well done on the win!
What happened to the streakers who appeared to have Highlanders face paint on?

Yep too much kicking, i think the thing i yelled out the most was to stop kicking!! I don't mind kicking as long as you have a decent chase and and at least 20% of the time you counter attack.

I'm pretty sure the streakers were Force fans who brought highlanders colours to bring the kiwi's into disrepute. Though i was amazed at how much you can't see wang on a streaker...

The real question is why he didn't take his socks off, he must've fallen through the sock gap!

[chibi]

Anyone notice how instead of kicking directly to touch from inside the 22, the Force would advance the ball a few phases out of the 22 so they couldn't kick directly to touch anymore and they'd have to kick it back to the Highlanders' backs? Is this a tactic or bad play?

[Rex Messup]

At least we aren't Otago fans. How bad are they going? Losses to the Kings and Force. NZ has too many teams ya jokers. The Highlanders have become the NZ rugby pension fund. The reason they are toilet is they are mostly has-beens. This is a good lesson for the Force.

A wins a wins a wins a win

The forwards were very good again. Our backs aren't.

I wonder why Alcock didn't get picked for the wallabies. He's been head and shoulders above Gill and Hooper.

Hayward has turned into a good player. I was impressed with his game.

Mathewson is great for us at 9.

10..........wowez me

We lost some attacking bite when Mafi got the heave ho.

It was hard to watch but we'll take the win. I had to surf between the mungoes and stupor rugby during the second half penalty-goal-a-thon

[Rex Messup]

Anyone notice how instead of kicking directly to touch from inside the 22, the Force would advance the ball a few phases out of the 22 so they couldn't kick directly to touch anymore and they'd have to kick it back to the Highlanders' backs? Is this a tactic or bad play?

The Force lineout is so bad, they avoid them
The other reason is that kicking it into touch and giving them a throw in your own half gives them a great attacking position to launch.
If it gets kicked down to their 22, at least it's out of penalty goal range as well.
They kick it back, we kick it back until someone farks up or counters or wants to get on with the game and kicks it out.
If we had Hayward, badger and mafi as our back 3 we could do some damage
badger is now tampon. In for one week, out for 3
Mafi got shafted

[jargan83]

Spiffing game of Penaltyball

You want find a Force fan who won't take the win

Most of the Highlanders (well the ones that were standing near me in the north east corner) think Nonu is shit. Highlanders were in for a try if he passed but in the end they had to settle for 3 points when we were down a man. Great defence for that period of the game

[WF1964]

Rex, when you say Christie - do you mean Jayden Hayward at 15?

[WF1964]

I don't understand Kiwis - why would you go to a Force v Highlanders game wearing a Chiefs jersey?

[Rex Messup]

Rex, when you say Christie - do you mean Jayden Hayward at 15?

Thanks old boy. I did. I wondered how he had improved so much. Alzheimers is not a good thing

[goldie12345]

Hang on don't get too excited, The Force beat the Highlanders, by a very low margin,big deal - luckily there was a brain explosion by Mose and gave away a penality. Hey the Highlanders have won 1 game!
The Force should have beat them convincingly but didn't. They were very lucky to get away with this win. so celebrate the win, probably the last for the season. True to form, faded and got lost second half, glad this season is over.