Force Defeat Reds to Win Record 4 in a Row
5
The Western Force have defeated the Queensland Reds 29 to 32 at Suncorp Stadium tonight to record their fourth consecutive win - a club record!
The Western Force has recorded four consecutive victories for the first time in the club’s history after edging past the Queensland Reds at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium tonight.
Trailing 29-25 with six minutes remaining in the see-sawing affair, Force fullback Jayden Hayward stepped through two tackles to fall over the line and score, with his successful conversion helping claim the narrow three-point win.
Head Coach Michael Foley said while he was pleased with the victory, there was improvement left within the team.
“We had to step up [tonight],” he said. “I think the boys are rapt to get the result tonight but while the boys showed a lot of character, we didn’t play our best footy and the nice thing about the way the guys are is that no-one hides from that.
“We don’t get too carried away about the results. When we had the first two games – which were poor performances – we tried to be as thorough and as clinical as we could be in terms of our analysis and what we needed to differently.
“When we look at tonight’s performance, we’re thrilled to get the result, and I thought the Reds fought us all the way to the death, but we didn’t play our best footy and we will need to step up to beat the Waratahs.
“The Waratahs are one of the top sides in the comp and if we do step up then we give ourselves the best chance.”
Against the Reds, the Force survived an early scare when Luke Morahan, playing against his former side, diffused a near Rod Davies try when he knocked free the ball from the Queensland winger’s grasp over the try line.
Flyhalf Sias Ebersohn then catapulted the Force to a 12-0 lead after 22 minutes on the back of four successful penalty goals.
When Force flanker Angus Cottrell received a yellow card for a shoulder charge at 24 minutes, momentum swung the way of the Reds with Ben Tapuai and James Slipper both finding space out wide to cross to claim a 14-12 by the time Cottrell returned.
Having their full complement reinstated, the visitors began working away at the deficit and after 16 phases in the Queensland half No.8 Ben McCalman crashed over the claim a 17-14 lead a minute out from half-time.
However, with little separating the two teams on the field, Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper ensured nothing did on the scoreboard either when he levelled the scores on the stroke of half-time.
Mike Harris wrestled back the lead with a penalty after 54 minutes, before Pek Cowan and Ebersohn provided to put Morahan over for a try in his Queensland return.
Harris added another three penalty goals – interrupted only by an opportune Ebersohn drop goal – to give the Reds a 29-25 lead with five minutes remaining.
However, the Force’s patience and ability to work the ball into the Reds’ quarter eventually resulted in Hayward stepping through the defence to cross adjacent to the posts.
The Reds created an opportunity to level the scores after the siren with Cooper’s drop goal attempt narrowly drifting away to the right of the uprights.
The Force will return home to take on the NSW Waratahs at the ‘Force Field’ (nib Stadium) on Saturday, 12 April.
2014 Asteron Life Super Rugby – Week Eight
Saturday, 5 April 2014 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 6.40pm (local)/4.40pm (AWST)
Western Force 32 (Ben McCalman, Luke Morahan, Jayden Hayward tries; Sias Ebersohn 0/1 conversion, 4/6 penalties, drop goal, Jayden Hayward 1/2 conversion) defeat Queensland Reds 29 (Ben Tapuai, James Slipper tries; Quade Cooper 2 conversions, 1/2 penalties, 0/1 drop goal, Mike Harris 4/4 penalties).
Western Force:
1. Pek Cowan, 2. Nathan Charles, 3. Kieran Longbottom, 4. Sam Wykes, 5. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 6. Angus Cottrell, 7. Matt Hodgson (c), 8. Ben McCalman, 9. Alby Mathewson, 10. Sias Ebersohn, 11. Nick Cummins, 12. Kyle Godwin, 13. Solomoni Rasolea, 14. Luke Morahan, 15. Jayden Hayward. Res: 16. Heath Tessmann, 17. Tetera Faulkner, 18. Ollie Hoskins, 19. Adam Coleman, 20. Brynard Stander, 21. Ian Prior, 22. Zack Holmes, 23. Marcel Brache.
Coach: Michael Foley
Queensland Reds:
1. James Slipper, 2. James Hanson, 3. Greg Holmes, 4. Rob Simmons, 5. James Horwill (c), 6. Eddie Quirk, 7. Beau Robinson, 8. Jake Schatz, 9. Will Genia, 10. Quade Cooper, 11. Jamie-Jerry Taulagi, 12. Mike Harris, 13. Ben Tapuai, 14. Rod Davies, 15. Ben Lucas. Res: 16. Albert Anae, 17. Pettowa Paraka, 18. Jono Owen, 19. Ed O’Donoghue, 20. Curtis Browning, 21. Nick Frisby, 22. Anthony Fainga’a, 23. Jonah Placid
Coach: Richard Graham
Yellow Cards: Angus Cottrell (24 min)
Red Cards: Nil
Referee: Garratt Williamson
By the Clock
Min
Details
Score
3
Quade Cooper Missed PG
0-0
11
Sias Ebersohn Penalty Goal
0-3
16
Sias Ebersohn Penalty Goal
0-6
18
Sias Ebersohn Penalty Goal
0-9
22
Sias Ebersohn Penalty Goal
0-12
24
Angus Cottrell Sin Bin
0-12
25
Ben Tapuai Try
5-12
26
Quade Cooper Conversion
7-12
34
James Slipper Try
12-12
35
Quade Cooper Conversion
14-12
38
Ben McCalman Try
14-17
40
Sias Ebersohn Missed Con
14-17
40
Quade Cooper Penalty Goal
17-17
51
Sias Ebersohn Missed PG
17-17
55
Mike Harris Penalty Goal
20-17
58
Sias Ebersohn Missed PG
20-17
61
Luke Morahan Try
20-22
62
Jayden Hayward Missed Con
20-22
65
Mike Harris Penalty Goal
23-22
69
Sias Ebersohn Drop Goal
23-25
71
Mike Harris Penalty Goal
26-25
75
Mike Harris Penalty Goal
29-25
79
Jayden Hayward Try
29-30
80
Jayden Hayward Conversion
29-32
80
Quade Cooper Missed DG
29-32
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