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Sportal
The Western Force are still in the race for the Super 14 finals after an emphatic 45-17 bonus-point win over the Cheetahs at Subiaco Oval on Friday night.
The Force controlled play from the outset to run in three first-half tries and hold a comprehensive 21-0 lead at the break.
A hiccup after half-time saw the Cheetahs back into the game with three tries, before the Force regained their composure to pile on four more tries and stay in the hunt for a semi-final spot.
The Force showed their intentions early by opting for attacking play and it eventually came to fruition in the 17th minute when playmaker Matt Giteau popped a one-handed offload to Ryan Cross, who sprinted 30 metres to score. Giteau converted from out wide for a 7-0 lead.
Just two minutes later, wing Scott Staniforth broke wide and fed Giteau, who took the ball up to 10 metres out. A width of the field sweep followed the ruck and Digby Ioane's angled run cut through poor defence and he was able to come around and dot down behind the posts. Giteau added the extras.
The Force continued to decline easy penalty goal chances to keep ball in hand and launch repeated phase attack. The Cheetahs defence scrambled continually spoiling ruck ball and eventually flanker Duayne Vermuelen was despatched to the sin bin.
From the penalty, the Force elected for a scrum in front of the posts, the ball went wide and Staniforth scored in the corner. Giteau converted from the sideline and the Force had a convincing 21-0 lead at half-time.
The Force seemed pre-occupied by a bonus-point fourth try after the break and the Cheetahs took advantage. Reserve winger Philip Burger scored in the corner from a simple overlap following a five-yard scrum.
The Cheetahs stayed on attack and from a penalty lineout the South African forwards mauled over the line for an easy try to van der Merwe. Willem De Waal converted from a moderate angle and suddenly the Cheetahs were back in the game at 21-12 after 54 minutes.
Stung into a flurry of action, the Force roared back in to life with Digby Ioane coming off his wing to cut through the midfield. Two phases later the ball came across the width of the field to find reserve prop AJ Whalley on the wing, and the big man steamed over for the try.
Three minutes later, fullback Drew Mitchell cut through the Cheetahs defence and sent the ball out to the left flank where hooker Tai McIsaac placed the ball over for a try and a decisive 33-12 lead.
The Cheetahs were down but not out and their heavyweight pack rumbled another unstoppable driving maul over in the corner where flanker Kabamba Floors claimed the five pointer. The conversion bounced off the posts with 15 minutes to play.
However, the Force finished strongly Matt Giteau working a dazzling run-around move to put Staniforth over in the corner for his second of the night.
Right on the final siren, a quick pass from the ruck on the blind sent Cross away for his brace. Giteau converted from the sideline for an impressive 45-17 win - the Force's highest in its short history.
Western Force 45
Tries: Staniforth 2, Cross 2, Ioane, Whalley, McIsaac,
Conversions: Giteau
Cheetahs 17
Tries: Burger, van der Merwe, Floors
Conversions: de Waal
A GOOD NIGHT FOR THE FORWARDS
Having now sat back and watched the replay of the game on Fox.... I offer my comments
1) Fox Sports Commentary Team..........Mark McKeaon (?)....well done....bit down on facts but because you are unbiased and dont continually bag the Force...keep coming back mate...
2) Tai McIssac....stepped up big time...now out of the shadow of the great Canno....you really went for it.....could still be selected for Aus Water Polo Team off season
3) Stanners...do we really need this contract numbers two's (edited by mods) during the season. Played an excellent game
4) Paul Honnis......the ref......excellent game.
5) Digby.....refer contract negotiations.....stay mate..please
6) AJ Walley....not only a great actor.....top show.....keep it up mate...
7) Giteau....A brumbies supporter last week yelled at us " Do you guys have decimal currency?"... and we replied......"yeah we paid a poo poo (ed by mods) load of guineas..........he's worth them all...
Loved to see all the tries - AJ's was the standout for me - gave Gareth Hardy some ribbing after the game about not scoring because most of the others did - he laughed and said that they had to be shared out.
Stanners seems a lot happier and played a lot better with the contract out of the way - great that he is on board
A really great night and I'm positive VCash again - damm those Tahs - is the maths for a final berth now impossible ?
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
Great game by the boys, slowed down a little after halftime but soon picked up the pace again. Was great to see stanners bag a double! Wonder if whalley's swan dive registered on the seismic scale?Only disappointment was the news digby's going home....
oh yea, anyone know what happened to henjak?
Last edited by travelling_gerry; 28-04-07 at 12:35.
forgive my maths but how can we make the finals ???
Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.
Not quite! - but highly improbable. Using the tool on the link on the TWF home pageOriginally Posted by Thequeerone
Gives us
As such possible, but realistically ALL these results MUST come in, any deviation will put us out! The Chiefs and Bulls wins overnight (yeah thanks for nuttin' Tahs!) have really put it out of reach.
Anyway been a great season - next week we have the chance to string 5 home wins in a row! Go Boys.
good to see the forwards score a few (AJ Especialy)
great improvisation by tai with those water polo passes
and also awesome to see stannas with ball in hand.
I dont need to mention gits you all saw and too bad for hilgy one knockon and back to the bench.
Its going to be a huge day next Friday! From 3:30pm we have the Chiefs v Crusaders, Chiefs losing gives a big boost to the Force's Super 14 finals chance.
The tension is already building up,can't wait for next Friday!
That was a superb game to watch, first half in our normal seats just above the then attacking try-line, second half in the seats right on the then attacking try-line, we like to move around![]()
I want to be unique - just like everybody else!
WOOHOO!!!![]()
We ran through the Cheetahs like they were standing still. Well, sometimes they were standing still![]()
Very happy with the way all the guys played, and thought Gits in particular had a great game![]()
Some friends came along for their first rugby game. They enjoyed it immensely, and will be back![]()
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
very entertaining game! well done boys. see we did learn something from the NZ tour. KEEP THE BALL IN HAND!! and the offloads hilgy and gits awesome.... but tai absolutly positively awesome. that showing off tai but hey when he can pull it off who cares? drewby needs to hit his kick more often but othen then that not many negatives!
Not sometimes, alot of the timeOriginally Posted by tragic
![]()
Come to the dark side
We have milk and cookies
Great game Digby and Stanner tackle breaks or whatever it is awesome broke the line see how both wingers got the ball. I swear they must just have all plays involving sheps when he playing. they finally made threw the ball around and attacked well. Great game by all but i still dont know why pocock has to do rotation that thing with back row silly and how mitchell and crossed have kept their position all season but oh well!!