Eight-try Force crush sad Lions (SUPER RUGBY)
Eight-try Force crush sad Lions
(I copied the best parts of the article and added some comments)
The Western Force scored eight tries in crushing a disintegrating Auto & General Lions side 55-14 in their Vodacom Super 14 match in Perth on Friday.
The Lions had problems in the front row, lost too many of their own lineouts, spilled the ball in contact and missed tackles. Some of the tactical kicking was on the same level. This was the result of a committed effort by the force forward pack applying so much pressure to the lions forward pack and playmakers fumbled on more than one occasion
The team that had looked so good in beating the Red the previous week was nowhere to be seen.
Even if the Lions often made their opponents look good, the Force showed why they had beaten all the other Australian sides in a rare clean sweep this year.
Their performance may also be a pointer to the strategy that the Wallabies could adopt in the Tri-Nations later in the season. and hopefully this will convince the likes of JOC and others that haven't signed with the Force yet that a John Mitchell driven Force will be unstoppable next year
An all-capped backline, conducted by maestro Giteau, attacked at pace, created space, handled well enough and exposed an unorganised Lions defence. I hope that Gits knows that it will not be that easy next year
In addition to the tries they scored, they came close to scoring on four other occasions.
the full article here: Eight-try Force crush sad Lions
Western Force set score records, shred Lions 55-14
Article from: PerthNow
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005401,00.html
Nick Taylor, rugby writer
April 23, 2009 10:00pm
Where has this Western Force been hiding?
There had been signs all season they would finally click.
But tonight, as the Force tore through the Lions with a 55-14 win, the side said goodbye to the sometimes stuttering waywardness and renown recklessness.
The crowd - sadly only 15,801 - could hardly believe what it was seeing as the Force clinically shredded the Lions.
They were left with both a feel-good factor and the question of whether it would be enough for an elusive finals spot.
The Force went into the game knowing that only a bonus point win would keep them in with any chance of making the finals and they had that before half time.
They had been warning all week that the Lions were capable of running in tries from anywhere on the park. And while the Lions were willing, it was the home side that was able, once again playing enterprising football.
The Force backline showed its pure class while the pack gave the Lions a torrid time up front.
And, on the odd occasion when necessary, showed why its defence has gained respect this year.
Tries from Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, James O'Connor, AJ Whalley, two from Cameron Shepherd, and two penalty tries helped produce the highest ever Force score and the biggest ever winning margin.
The previous were 45 points scored against the Cheetahs two years ago and a 35 winning margin against the Reds in the same season.
It would have been higher if Shepherd had not been denied his second hat trick of the season by a dodgy decision from video referee George Ayoub who somehow found his foot in touch.
The Force could not have asked for a better start and it had to be - the departing Mitchell scoring a try after just 60 seconds in his penultimate home game.
James O'Connor showed why the Force is desperate to keep him with a scintillating break and pass to Ryan Cross who thrust hard and put a neat inside pass to Mitchell. Giteau converted.
Not to be outdone or outshone Giteau decided to show why the Force was desperate to keep him: a neat step leaving two defenders grasping thin air and he was through for a try under the posts.
He converted his own five pointer.
A penalty try, when Lions captain Ernst Joubert brought down Scott Staniforth and went to the sin bin for his troubles and Giteau converting, pushed the Force out to a 21-point lead on 25 minutes.
Giteau then added a penalty.
Lions winger Jannie Boshoff finished a neat move from the scrum base to open his side's account four minutes from time. Andre Pretorius converted.
But the Force was not finished and remarkably picked up the bonus try with a fourth try seconds before the break when Shepherd finished off yet another long range effort.
Unconverted.
The try procession continued after the break, swift hands again saw Shepherd in full flight for his second, unconverted, then even better handling had O'Connor going over in the corner. Giteau converted.
Prop AJ crossed for a five pointer with his first touch, Giteau converting, before Earl Rose grabbed a second consolation try with 12 minutes left. Pretorius converted.
The second penalty try was awarded when O'Connor was held back by US international flanker Todd Clever after Giteau charged down a kick over the try line. He converted.
As the Force moved into fifth place overnight, coach John Mitchell said: "It was a real pleasing performance. We started well and stuck to our task.
"There's been patches at times that have hurt us through the year and undone us.
"The guys really put together a solid performance.
"We were always a little bit concerned that if we didn't retain ball or be precise we could cost ourselves a lot of metres.
"It's an intriguing competition. We're still alive but we're taking one week at a time."
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005401,00.html