Round 5 ACT Brumbies W v Western Force W

Finals-bound Force make six changes to starting XV for Brumbies trip

Wed, Apr 10, 2024, 11:57 AM
Ben Somerford

The semi-finals bound Western Force have made six changes to the starting XV for Saturday’s Round 5 Buildcorp Super Rugby Women’s clash against the ACT Brumbies at Viking Park.

The Force booked their maiden semi-finals spot last weekend by virtue of other results and can finish as high as second or as low as fourth ahead of the final round of home-and-away fixtures.

Fearsome Kalamunda hooker Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke and Japan international prop Natsuki Kashiwagi return to the front-row, with Rosie Ebbage added to the second row.

Aranmore College product Nicole Ledington is back at fly-half after starting as a reserve in last week’s 45-21 loss to the NSW Waratahs. Manusina Samoa international Saelua Leaula and local talent Brooklyn Teki-Joyce come into the XV on either wing.

Renae Nona shifts from fly-half for Ledington to full-back with Aiysha Wigley ruled out with a season-ending ACL injury sustained against the Tahs.

Lock Michaela Leonard will lead the team against her former side, with captain Trilleen Pomare ruled out with a knock which isn’t expected to impact her semi-finals availability.

Alanis Toia is also unavailable due to a calf injury, with Dallys Tini and Keira MacAskill added to the Impact Squad.

The winner of the Brumbies-Force clash with face the Fijian Drua in the semi-finals, with the venue to be determined by the Drua’s result later on Saturday against the Melbourne Rebels. The loser of the Brumbies-Force game will take on the NSW Waratahs in the semi-finals.

The Force must claim a bonus-point win over the Brumbies and the Drua lose to the Rebels without a bonus point to claim second spot and a home semi-final.

The Force and Brumbies are currently locked on nine points, thus the winner of the clash will secure second or third spot.

The fifth-placed Reds cannot catch either side despite being on four points due to head-to-head record being the determining factor behind points.

The Super W game will be live on Stan Sport, while there will be regular updates @WesternForce on social media.

Game details

ACT Brumbies v Western Force

Saturday 13 April, 12:45pm WST

Viking Park, Canberra

Live on Stan Sport

Force XV

1. Hinata Komaki
2. Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke
3. Natsuki Kashiwagi
4. Michaela Leonard (c)
5. Rosie Ebbage
6. Lucy Dinnen
7. Anneka Stephens
8. Tamika Jones
9. Samantha Wood
10. Nicole Ledington
11. Saelua Leaula
12. Siutiti Ma’ake
13. Sheree Hume
14. Brooklyn Teki-Joyce
15. Renae Nona

16. Sara Cline
17. Harono Te Iringa
18. Alapeta Ngauamo
19. Libya Teepa
20. Keira MacAskill
21. Kendra Fell
22. Dallys Tini
23. Haylee Hifo

Brumbies XV

1. Sally Fuesaina
2. Tania Naden
3. Iroha Kishimoto
4. Kate Holland
5. Ashley Fernandez
6. Siokapesi Palu
7. Lydia Kavoa
8. Tabua Tuinakauvadra
9. Kolora Lomani
10. Faitala Moleka
11. Chioma Enyi
12. Kayla Sauvao
13. Harmony Ioane
14. Biola Dawa
15. Ashlea Bishop

16. Erika Maslen
17. Allana Sikimeti
18. Iris Verebalavu
19. Madeleine Gogala*
20. Loretta Mailangi
21. Bonnie Brewer
22. Kyah Little
23. Martha Fua

*Debut

Head Coach Scott Fava

Buildcorp Super Rugby Women's Team List: Round 5 v Western Force

Wed, Apr 10, 2024, 12:00 PM
Brumbies.rugby

The Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies have announced their team for this weekend's Round 5 clash against the Western Force, kicking off from 2:35PM AEST at Viking Park this Saturday.

Head Coach Scott Fava has made changes to the squad for their last regular season match, with four players making their way back into the starting side following the team's Round 4 match against the Fijian Drua.

Chioma Enyi comes back into the starting side, taking her place on the wing after featuring off the bench in the forwards since Round 2.

Sally Fuesaina has been named in the front row, alongside Tania Naden and Iroha Kishimoto. Capped Wallaroo Kayla Sauvao also lines up at inside centre once again, after coming off the bench in last weeks' home match. This change will see skipper Siokapesi Palu back in the number six jersey and Loretta Mailangi back to the bench after their late position changes in Round 4.

Making their way onto the bench is Orange local and front row workhorse Madeleine Gogala who is in line to make her Super Rugby Women's debut at Viking Park. Also on the bench for the first time this season is outside back Martha Fua, who comes into the side after an incredible performance for the Gungahlin Eagles in the Premier 15s competition last week.

Starting XV

1. Sally Fuesaina (Campbelltown Harlequins)
2. Tania Naden (Uni-Norths Owls)
3. Iroha Kishimoto (Tokyo Phoenix)
4. Kate Holland (Hunter Wildfires)
5. Ashley Fernandez (Canberra Royals)
6. Siokapesi Palu (Uni-Norths Owls)
7. Lydia Kavoa (Uni-Norths Owls)
8. Tabua Tuinakauvadra (Tuggeranong Vikings)
9. Kolora Lomani (TBA)
10. Faitala Moleka (Sydney Uni)
11. Chioma Enyi (Wests Lions)
12. Kayla Sauvao (Campbelltown Harlequins)
13. Harmony Ioane (Queanbeyan Whites)
14. Biola Dawa (Canberra Royals)
15. Ashlea Bishop (Canberra Royals)

16. Erika Maslen (Tuggeranong Vikings)
17. Allana Sikimeti (Tuggeranong Vikings)
18. Iris Verebalavu (Uni-Norths Owls)
19. Madeleine Gogala (Uni-Norths Owls)*
20. Loretta Mailangi (Gungahlin Eagles)
21. Bonnie Brewer (Canberra Royals)
22. Kyah Little (Hunter Wildfires)
23. Martha Fua (Gungahlin Eagles)

*Debut

Head Coach Scott Fava

Women's Hooker fest as Force face nervous evening for Finals destination

The Brumbies and Force Hookers scored a combined 7 tries in a seesawing engaging slug out.

ok, ok, here's the real article


Force edge Brumbies in 11-try epic to clinch third spot

Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:20 PM
Ben Somerford

The Western Force have clinched third spot and an away trip to Fiji in the Buildcorp Super Rugby Women’s semi-finals after a 38-36 victory over the ACT Brumbies at Viking Park on Saturday.

The Force entered the game with their Club-first semi-finals spot locked in, but facing three possible scenarios, potentially finishing as high as second or as low as fourth.

A bonus-point victory would’ve put the Force in with a shot at second spot and a home semi-final – pending the Fijian Drua-Melbourne Rebels result later on Saturday – but fell marginally short thanks to ACT full-back Ashlea Bishop’s late try in an entertaining clash. For the timebeing the Force are level on points with the Drua, but cannot finish higher due to head-to-head record.

The Force triumphed in a six-tries-to-five epic, where the visitors raced to an early 17-0 lead only for the Brumbies to rally back and lead 24-17 at half-time.

Hooker Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke scored a first-half double, while her replacement, Canadian international Sara Cline, also dotted twice. ACT hooker Tania Naden also scored three tries.

The Force’s clear avenue to the try-line was via rolling maul from line-outs, utilising the set-play effectively numerous times, while half-backs Sammy Wood and Nicole Ledington pulled the strings.

The WA side raced to a 17-0 lead inside the opening 16 minutes, started by Malcolm Heke who barged over on the back of a rolling maul.

The Kalamunda stalwart, elevated back into the starting XV, added a second in the 13th minute from another rolling maul, after Ledington’s line break initiated the move, before winning a penalty. Wood converted for a 12-0 lead.

It was one-way traffic and soon 17-0 after the Force turned defence into attack led by back-rower Lucy Dinnen, who gathered brilliantly after a clever improvised soccer, offloading for makeshift winger Brooklyn Teki-Joyce to use her pace to score.

But the home side rallied, firstly with fly-half Faitala Moleka’s 20th minute penalty goal, as the Brumbies started to demand more possession while the Force made errors and gave away penalties.

In-form Naden crossed under the sticks despite 10-plus phases of strong Force defence. Moleka’s conversion made it 17-10.

Full-back Renae Nona made a good tackle to deny Biola Dawa with the try-line in sight but scores were level in the 30th minute after Alapeta Ngauamo was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle at a 5m defensive lineout, with Naden dotting on the next opportunity from a rolling maul. Moleka converted.

The Brumbies took the lead into half-time after Tabua Tuinakauvadra’s break, with the Force knocking on at a defensive line-out, leading to Sally Fuesaina scoring. Moleka added the extras for a 24-17 lead at the interval.

The second half turned into a see-sawing battle, with Teki-Joyce making a critical defensive steal after Siokapesi Palu’s line break.

The Force squared the game up in the 55th minute with the injection of Cline from the Impact Squad, with the Canadian hooker crossing on the back of a maul with Wood adding the extras.

Brumbies scrum-half Kolora Lomani was yellow car for a hair pull on Teki-Joyce and the visitors capitalized on their numerical advantage with Ngauamo scoring with a pick and go. Wood converted for a 31-24 lead.

ACT replied immediately after a Force mix-up from the kick-off with Naden scoring her third after Palu barged her way through. The Force stayed ahead after Moleka missed the conversion.

Cline scored the seventh try for a hooker in the game, crossing patiently on the back of a rolling maul with Wood converting to open up a bonus-point lead.

Anneka Stephens launched a big run as the Force chased another but the Brumbies cut the gap with Ashlea Bishop picking off Force debutant Georgia Cormick’s pass for a 90m converted try.

After ACT bobbling Ledington’s kick-off out, the Force closed out the game, settling for the win and third spot.

Brumbies 36

Tries: Naden (23’, 29’, 62’), Fuesaina (38’), Bishop (77’)

Conversions: Moleka (4/5)

Penalties: Moleka (1/1)

Force 38

Tries: Malcolm-Heke (3’, 13’), Teki-Joyce (16’), Cline (55’, 67’), Ngauamo (58’)

Conversions: Wood (4/6)

Penalties: Nil

The "face nervous evening for Finals destination" bit being I believe if the Rebels can pull off a win over Drua this evening then the Force will finish in second an earn a Home Semi next week. The Force are up by one solitary point in differential.

So it would some there's fuckery going on with how the Women's Ladder works.
Force and Fijian Drua both finish on 13 competition points.
The Force website have us finishing 2nd on points differential, however, by the way Stan was talking Fijian Drua finish 2nd because the beat the Force on head to head fixtures.
If so, we have to return to the shithole they beat us at as the ultimate home advantage in Rugby.
So long as that was clearly stated pre-season I guess you have to live with it, but would pose the question, why bother with recording +/- in the ladder if it doesn't become the deciding factor?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burgs

So it would some there's fuckery going on with how the Women's Ladder works.
Force and Fijian Drua both finish on 13 competition points.
The Force website have us finishing 2nd on points differential, however, by the way Stan was talking Fijian Drua finish 2nd because the beat the Force on head to head fixtures.
If so, we have to return to the shithole they beat us at as the ultimate home advantage in Rugby.
So long as that was clearly stated pre-season I guess you have to live with it, but would pose the question, why bother with recording +/- in the ladder if it doesn't become the deciding factor?

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Exactly, stupid system, should come down to for and against

Looks like the game is in Suva this time though which may be better?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Garry Owen

Exactly, stupid system, should come down to for and against

Looks like the game is in Suva this time though which may be better?

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The only argument for recording +/- would be in the event of a Draw, but I assume (don't know?) they would have Golden Point like the Men's?
I would guess the Suva ground to be superior to the duck pond, but if it rains like the other day would need to be on the side of a mountain.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burgs

The only argument for recording +/- would be in the event of a Draw, but I assume (don't know?) they would have Golden Point like the Men's?I would guess the Suva ground to be superior to the duck pond, but if it rains like the other day would need to be on the side of a mountain.

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Don't we do golden point?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GIGS20

Don't we do golden point?

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I'm assuming not, otherwise hard to justify needing to record +/- in the ladder if head to head decides.
However, I don't know.