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Shepherd goes close again
DAVE HUGHES
5 May 2008
History looked like repeating itself at Subiaco Oval for the 90 seconds it took television match official George Ayoub to come to a decision at the end of Saturday’s Super 14 encounter between the Western Force and Chiefs.
Just as he did a year ago against the Hurricanes, Force full-back Cameron Shepherd had dived over in the last minute for what seemed to be the decisive try.
Shepherd’s try and after-the-siren conversion to pip the Canes has gone down in Force folklore and, amazingly, it appeared he had repeated the feat to down the Chiefs with just three seconds left on the clock.
Callum Bruce’s drop goal appeared to have stolen the Chiefs their sixth consecutive win by giving them a two-point lead in the 76th minute but the Force held possession, rumbled into the Waikato team’s 22m area and put the try line under siege.
The hyped-up fans were in full voice as the Force pounded away and few realised referee Marius Jonker had called a penalty advantage to the Force during their final fling which climaxed with replacement Sitaleki Timani tossing a pass towards the onrushing Shepherd.
The World Cup Wallaby had to reach low to control the ball and dived over to send the stadium into rapture.
But, wait! Jonker signalled he wasn’t completely happy and wanted Ayoub to check Shepherd’s action.
Supporters of both teams agonised as he assessed the replays. Boos prevailed when Jonker disallowed the try because of a slight knock-on as Shepherd tried to grab the bouncing ball — but they rapidly turned to applause when Jonker ran back to where the Chiefs had gone offside and signalled a penalty to the home team.
Would Shepherd get the opportunity to be the hero again, especially as Giteau had already missed three shots at the posts?
“I was tempted to ask but Gits has amazing confidence and I saw him walk over and take the ball,” recalled Shepherd.
“He’s got a cool head and if there’s one person you’d want to take a kick like that, it’s him.”
Shepherd said he was annoyed at fumbling the pass.
“I was filthy I’d bombed the try,” he said. “I didn’t catch it cleanly but I thought I’d got it down OK.
“When I looked up Marius (Jonker) was running over, nodding, and I thought he was going to award it but then he went upstairs for the replay. I knew we had a penalty coming, though.”
Shepherd said he never doubted the Force could snatch the win after Bruce’s drop goal because of the seesawing action.
“I knew if we could get the ball we could make the metres,” he said. “Some of their players were battling near the end because it had been such a hard game.
“We made it that way deliberately. We knew our best chance was to dominate them physically, to go out and bash bodies. In the end they made a tired mistake.”