0
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
The Emirates Western Force have ended an era with a 33-28 win over the Highlanders in front of 18,310 fans at Subiaco Oval in Perth tonight.
Saying goodbye to the venue and an a number of club icons, the home side jumped out to a big half time lead and withstood a fast finish from the Otago side to secure the bonus point win.
Ryan Cross latched onto a brilliant Matt Giteau grubber to open the scoring in the first minute. Departing winger Scott Staniforth, playing his 100th Super Rugby game, then tore the Highlanders defence to shreds in the first half, grabbing a brace before the break as the Force opened up a 23-0 lead.
Highlanders winger Ben Smith led the second half comeback with a double of his own, wrapped around a Haig Sare try, as the Highlanders came home with a flurry.
Further tries to Tom Donnelly and Jimmy Cowan cut the margin to 33-28 after the final siren.
Brumbies-bound Flyhalf Giteau kicked 13 points to break the club record for points in a season with 128, previously held by Cameron Shepherd with 121 in 2006.
At the conclusion of the game, RugbyWA Chairman Geoff Stooke thanked the ten departing players (*listed below) and assistant coach John Mulvihill, presenting milestone men Scott Staniforth and Tai McIsaac (52 consecutive appearances for the club) with mementos for the achievements.
The Force finished the 2009 Investec Super 14 with a club record 36 competition points ahead of the move to Members Equity Stadium for the 2010 season.
*The ten departing players – Matt Giteau, Scott Staniforth, Tai McIsaac, Drew Mitchell, Josh Valentine, Tamaiti Horua, Junior Pelesasa, Ben Castle, David Pusey and Luke Holmes.
By the clock:
1st Min: Try to the Emirates Western Force scored by Ryan Cross. Not converted by Giteau. Emirates Western Force lead 5-0.
7th Min: Try to the Emirates Western Force scored by Scott Staniforth. Not converted by Giteau. Emirates Western Force lead 10-0.
19th Min: Penalty Goal to the Emirates Western Force kicked by Giteau. Emirates Western Force lead 13-0.
26th Min: Penalty Goal to the Emirates Western Force kicked by Giteau. Emirates Western Force lead 16-0.
38th Min: Try to the Emirates Western Force scored by Staniforth. Converted by Giteau. Emirates Western Force lead 23-0.
HALF TIME: Emirates Western Force 23 Highlanders 0
43rd Min: Try to the Highlanders scored by Ben Smith. Converted by Daniel Bowden. Emirates Western Force lead 23-7.
49th Min: Penalty Goal to the Emirates Western Force kicked by Giteau. Emirates Western Force lead 26-7.
54th Min: Try to the Emirates Western Force scored by Haig Sare. Converted by Giteau. Emirates Western Force lead 33-7.
63rd Min: Try to the Highlanders scored by Ben Smith. Converted by Bowden. Emirates Western Force lead 33-14.
65th Min: Try to the Highlanders scored by Tom Donnelly. Converted by Bowden. Emirates Western Force lead 33-21.
81st Min: Try to the Highlanders scored by Jimmy Cowan. Converted by Bowden. Emirates Western Force lead 33-28.
FULL TIME: Emirates Western Force 33 Highlanders 28
Emirates Western Force 33 (Staniforth (2), Cross, Sare tries; Giteau 2 cons, 3 pens)
Highlanders 28 (Smith (2), Donnelly, Cowan tries; Bowden 4 cons)
Replacements –
21st Min: Tom Hockings replaces Tamaiti Horua
28th Min: Richard Stanford replaces Sam Wykes
61st Min: Chris O’Young replaces Josh Valentine and Troy Takiari replaces AJ Whalley
75th Min: Junior Pelesasa replaces Josh Tatupu
78th min: Ben Whittaker replaces Tai McIsaac
79th Min: Dane Haylett-Petty replaces Haig Sare
wow. so luke holmes really is going. i wonder where he is off to next?
And pusey?
I know Junior is off to japan to play.
Well, that's it, then. I'm glad I was there to see the fellas off and I'm glad they went off with a win (aside from going a bit sleepy in the second half)! I was happy that so many people stuck around for the presentations after the game (boo to those that didn't!)
And Pusey's going? I missed that one![]()
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
luke holmes released?
yeah presentation was good
was sad to say bye to the boys
but bring on next season
member equityyyy![]()
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
Good first half , they forgot to come out for seconfd half. I think the players should have done a lap of honour before the presentations. Then maybe the supporters would have stayed behind and also just like Subi the sound system was not working or plugged in at some points of the ground hence you could not hear anything anyway. Untill some nice chap plugged it in just after Tais presentation.
Pusey staying in Perth to persue his flying career.
It was a good gamefor 10 minutes - then some dick put 50 scotch college boys down in front of us and utterly ruined the rest of the night. No parent or coaching supervision - total dicks. If you give away tickets for god sake these little fucks should be supervised somewhere faraway - they didn't even watch the game. Jeeze we've been let down time and again by the randomness of the freakshow that can move about and sit where they want. Security show up in the last 2 minutes for a harmless pissed Highlander supporter - while the school boys wouldn't stfu for 70 minutes. Why would I pay for a gold membership - it is meaningless. I may as well buy a cheap ticket and barge in to a sweet spot.
The scotch college should be embarassed and ashamed of their students behaviour out in public. You couldn't barrack without being heckled - coz they didn't know how to behave at a rugby match.......so pissed off.
Highlanders played a good throw around game second half.
Force will need good practice matches next year.
I was a little disappointed that the jerseys presented to Spanner and Tai were the old ones (unless they were the ones worn for the first match v brumbies - but I thought they would have had them anyway)
poor fullback for hale(jimmy)
did his acl![]()
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
I was emotional...really, really emotional.....in fact, I was about ropeable re our performance in the second half.![]()
Just happy to be here
im glad we won but i cant believe we gave away our large leading margin!!
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
We won, that's the main part. That game was pretty much a summary of our season, amazing one second and what-the-hell the next. Spanner's 2 tries were very well deserved and I think overall it was an OK way to wrap up the season. That runaway try at the end - to Jimmy Cowan for Pete's sake - was really not good.
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
You're not wrong there Robyn. I believe a few profanities escaped my mouth in the second half. They should have been so pumped for that game....last game of the season, a home game, and half their team leaving...but they looked like they were casually strolling around the second half....they weren't even chasing![]()
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."