Rick Boyd
Sportal
http://www.sportal.com.au/webi/space.gifhttp://www.sportal.com.au/webi/space.gifThe Western Force scored their second home win in two weeks and gave the Queensland Reds a night they would rather forget with a 38-3 drubbing in their Super 14 match at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.
Everything the Reds touched went wrong; an endless succession of collapsed scrums, lost lineouts, knock-ons, missed line kicks, turned over ruck ball and inferior field position.
The Force did most of the damage in a controversial first spell and led 18-3 at half time, the same score as the two sides held in their 2006 meeting.
The Reds' woes were compounded with two yellow cards and a subsequent red card for wing Peter Hynes, and a penalty try in the first 10 minutes. Halfback Chris O'Young scored the second try for the Force and wing Cameron Shepherd kicked two penalties and a conversion, with a sole penalty to Reds fullback Andrew Walker in reply. The Force dominated territory, stole three Reds lineouts and almost scored a third try along the way.
document.write('');The second half, fortunately for the Force, bore no resemblance to the 2006 match. The Reds gained more territory but with no better result, while the Force finished with a late flourish, scoring tries to Shepherd and wing Digby Ioane to ram the win home and collect a bonus point.
The Force opened with multiple phases of attack and in just the third minute of play gained a penalty in front when Queensland came offside defending their 22. Shepherd converted the sitter.
The niggle started early as well, with a flurry of pushing and shoving following an aborted scrum minutes later.
The Force gained the penalty and kicked to five metres out from the Reds' line. The home side rucked ahead and ran the blind, where Hynes slapped the ball down, preventing wing Digby Ioane from scoring in the corner unmarked, eight minutes into the game. Referee Brett Bowden ruled a controversial penalty try and Shepherd converted his second sitter as the Force went ahead 10-0. Hynes copped a yellow card to add to Queensland's pain.
The Force returned to attack mode with waves of phases in the Reds' 22 and 15 minutes in, centre Ryan Cross went over in the corner but dropped the ball in the act of scoring.
The Reds gained virtually their first foray into the Force's half after 20 minutes play, but the Force defended stoutly until flanker David Pocock was penalised for diving over a ruck in front of the posts and Walker slotted the penalty goal after 24 minutes.
The Force returned to attack and after some slight of hand of a narrow blind side, No.8 Scott Fava charged up and O'Young finished off with a darting try. In the process fullback Drew Mitchell was spear tackled by Hynes and following the touch judge's report, the wing received a red card for this second offence. Shepherd missed the conversion but the Force were 15-3 ahead and dominating territory.
The Reds rejected a kickable penalty with four minutes to play in the half after a muddled period of play, and gained attacking position with a penalty lineout but the Force stole the poor throw in and raced downfield. Instead, Shepherd landed a difficult 40-metre penalty on an angle, for offside, and the Force took an 18-3 lead into half time.
Shepherd missed a long range penalty attempt seven minutes into the half and Walker responded with a longer one, also unsuccessful after 10 minutes, as the Reds gained more territory but with no more result.
A good scoring opportunity three minutes later was lost through a Reds knocked-on, and the Force gained a relieving penalty, won a kicking duel and went back on attack.
Shepherd added another penalty goal 18 minutes into the half, and the Force followed up with waves of attack and should have scored with an overlap, but the Reds spoiled and conceded the penalty. Shepherd obliged from in front and the Force went ahead 24-3.
Queensland didn't give up, and reserve halfback Nic Berry beat four tacklers to go over the line but knocked the ball on as the Reds battled hard with nothing going their way approaching the final ten minutes.
A mixed second half seemed set to finish with a whimper but Shepherd again brought the Subi Oval crowd to its feet with five minutes to play, beating two tacklers to cross the line out wide after a rare first phase width of the field sweep from a lineout. Shepherd came around to touch down closer to the posts and converted his try for a stirring 31-3 lead.
Wing Digby Ioane gathered a brilliant cross field kick in the corner but was taken out in the air with two minutes to play. His revenge came two minutes later on full time as he followed up a charge by blindside flanker Richard Brown and raced in a runaway try in the same corner. Shepherd converted for the stunning 38-3 win.
Western Force 38
Tries: O'Young, Shepherd, Ioane, Penalty try
Conversions: Shepherd 3
Penalties: Shepherd 4
Reds 3
Penalties: Walker
