HIGHLANDERS DOWN WESTERN FORCE IN PERTH

May 23 • General News, Super Rugby • 1540 Views • Comments Off on HIGHLANDERS DOWN WESTERN FORCE IN PERTH

The Western Force has fallen to the Highlanders, 23-3, at the ‘Force Field’ (nib Stadium) tonight.

While creating numerous opportunities throughout the match, the home side was unable to complete them, with the Otago side scoring the only two tries of the match to run out 20-point victors.

While the Force held the dangerous Highlanders outfit try-less through the first half, a Lima Sopoaga drop goal and Aaron Smith try within the final 10 minutes of the match extended the final margin.

Force fullback Dane Haylett-Petty was again highly involved and continually threatened the defensive line, while also providing his side with field position through a strong kicking display in a Haigh & Hastings Man of the Match performance.

Flyhalf Sias Ebersohn also proved dangerous in taking the ball to the line, while Ben McCalman, Adam Coleman and Pek Cowan were physical in leading from the front.

The Force returns to the ‘Force Field’ (nib Stadium) next Saturday, 30 May to take on the Queensland Reds.

Tickets to Western Force’s next home match against the Queensland Reds on Saturday, 30 May are now available! Visit ticketmaster.com.au.

WHAT THEY SAID…

Michael Foley, Western Force Head Coach

“I thought we were incredibly good up front in terms of the attitude we played with. Last time we sat here [after the match against the Waratahs] I said irrespective of results we need to see the same attitude and I thought we saw that up front. They’re a very dangerous side and we put them under pressure with our defence in getting turnovers. We created opportunities and we had a couple of opportunities in their 22 in the first half, and we just didn’t take points out of them. We came out after half time, they got into our 22 and made the most of those chances and that’s the difference in the game – they just had a bit more polish in terms of what they did with the ball.

“In terms of defence and in terms of attitude I thought we were great, and I thought we created opportunities with the ball, we just didn’t finish them.

“When we bring that great enthusiasm and great aggression to our defence and create those chances, you’ve got to make the most of them. Against really good sides, you’re not going to get a hell of a lot of chances, and that was the case against the Waratahs, we only got a few chances there. It was the same tonight – against the Waratahs we finished them off, tonight we just didn’t do that.”

2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby – Week 15
Saturday, 23rd May 2015 at the ‘Force Field’ (nib Stadium), Perth	Kick-off: 7.45pm	Crowd: 13,554
Highlanders 23 (John Hardie, Aaron Smith tries; Lima Sopoaga conversion, 2 penalties, drop goal, Marty Banks conversion) defeated the Western Force 3 (Sias Ebersohn penalty)
Half time: Highlanders 6-3
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Referee: Andrew Lees

WESTERN FORCE

Western Force: 1. Pekahou Cowan, 2. Nathan Charles, 3. Tetera Faulkner, 4. Steve Mafi, 5. Adam Coleman, 6. Angus Cottrell, 7. Matt Hodgson (c), 8. Ben McCalman, 9. Ryan Louwrens, 10. Sias Ebersohn, 11. Nick Cummins, 12. Kyle Godwin, 13. Marcel Brache, 14. Luke Morahan, 15. Dane Haylett- Petty.

Reserves: 16. Heath Tessmann, 17. Chris Heiberg, 18. Guy Millar, 19. Sam Wykes, 20. Kane Koteka, 21. Alby Mathewson, 22. Luke Burton, 23. Patrick Dellit.

Head Coach: Michael Foley

HIGHLANDERS

1.Brendon Edmonds, 2. Liam Coltman, 3. Josh Hohneck, 4. Alex Ainley, 5. Mark Reddish, 6. Gareth Evans, 7. John Hardie, 8. Dan Pryor, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Lima Sopoaga, 11. Patrick Osborne, 12. Shaun Treeby, 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Ben Smith (c).

Reserves: 16. Ash Dixon, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Ross Geldenhuys, 19. Tom Franklin, 20. Elliot Dixon, 21. Fumiaki Tanaka, 22. Marty Banks, 23. Richard Buckman.

Head Coach: Jamie Joseph

BY THE CLOCK
Min		Score
7	Sias Ebersohn breaks the line from beyond halfway and puts in a well-weighted grubber kick, with Marcel Brache deemed to knock the ball on over the line.	0-0
15	Ben McCalman penalised for not releasing the ball. Lima Sopoaga kicks the penalty from 35-metres out.	0-3
22	Dan Pryor penalised for not rolling away. Sias Ebersohn slots the penalty from 48 metres out.	3-3
24	From a lineout five metres from the try line, the Force strings several phases together before Matt Hodgson knocks-on in contact within a metre of the try line.	3-3
40	The Force is penalised for being offside on half-time. Sopoaga kicks penalty from directly in front.	3-6
	HALF TIME	3-6
42	Brache penalised for going off his feet. Sopoaga misses penalty from the halfway line.	3-6
46	John Hardie falls over the line for the first try of the match after a well-executed rolling maul from a lineout 5-metres from the Force line. Sopoaga converts.	3-13
65	After a five-metre scrum the Highlanders attack the blindside, picking and driving on four occasions. Elliot Dixon dives over the line but is ruled to have been held up by the TMO.	3-13
72	Sopoaga drops back to slot a drop goal from 30-metres out.	3-16
74	Marty Banks regains a high ball and offloads to Richard Buckman, who finds Aaron Smith down the left wing to score the Highlanders’ second try of the match. Banks converts.	3-23
	FULL TIME	3-23