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The Emirates Western Force has scored its first ever away win in Australia with a rousing bonus-point victory over the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium tonight.
Despite a rare off night with the boot for Matt Giteau, who missed three difficult conversions and a penalty attempt, a Cameron Shepherd hat-trick and a try to rugged forward Richard Brown secured the 25-16 win.
The Force blew a golden chance in the 19th minute when Junior Pelesasa spilled the ball over the tryline after a bust by Shepherd, but just seven minutes later the visitors redeemed themselves in the same corner.
Shepherd powered to the tryline after a well-worked move from a scrum win which saw Ryan Cross open up a hole from a long Matt Giteau pass. Cross skipped through the defence of Adam Ashley-Cooper before setting himself perfectly for a ball to an unmarked Shepherd on the left touchline, which he carried to the tryline untouched for the first five-pointer of the night.
That was after Mark Gerrard had slotted through two penalty goals to give the home side a 6-0 lead in an open first 25 minutes of play.
Gerrard nailed a third penalty goal after the Shepherd try, giving his side a four-point buffer before Matt Giteau closed the gap to one point at the break after converting a penalty shot of his own on the stroke of half time.
The second half started well for the visitors, and it wasn’t long before Shepherd returned to the score sheet.
Some neat passing from Pek Cowan, Nathan Sharpe and Drew Mitchell sent the 24-year-old flying over in the left corner once again to snatch the lead four minutes into the second stanza.
That lead was extended seven minutes later when Junior Pelesasa, playing his first match of the season after recovering from a hamstring strain, made an incredible mid-field bust, beating five defenders and producing a perfect one-hand offload for Richard Brown to rumble over the tryline.
The TMO awarded the try after Brumbies flyhalf Christian Lealiifano almost pulled off a courageous try-saving tackle, momentarily holding the Force number 8 up over the line before Brown eventually planted it.
Brown was replaced shortly after with a shoulder injury and the Brumbies clawed their way back, earning a penalty try after sustained pressure on the Force scrum wielded repeat infringements from the visitors and eventually gave the referee no choice but to award a five-pointer to the home side.
It set up a tense final fifteen minutes, but with the score at 20-16 to the Force again it was Shepherd who stole the show, securing his hat-trick with eleven minutes left to play.
Good ball control and tough defence in the final minutes ensured the victory for the visitors, as they held on for an impressive 25-16 victory ahead of a two-week tour of New Zealand.
Emirates Western Force 25 (Shepherd 3, Brown tries; Giteau conversion, penalty goal) defeated Brumbies 16 (Penalty try; Mark Stirling Mortlock conversion, Mark Gerrard 3 penalty goals) at Canberra Stadium, Canberra.
AS IT HAPPENED: EMIRATES WESTERN FORCE V BRUMBIES
2nd minute: Mark Gerrard penalty goal. Brumbies 3-0
26th minute: Mark Gerrard penalty goal. Brumbies 6-0
27th minute: Cameron Shepherd try, missed conversion by Matt Giteau. Brumbies 6-5
31st minute: Mark Gerrard penalty goal. Brumbies 9-5
40th minute: Matt Giteau penalty goal. Brumbies 9-8
HALF TIME: Brumbies 9 Emirates Western Force 8
44th minute: Cameron Shepherd try, missed conversion by Matt Giteau. Emirates Western Force 13-9
50th minute: Missed penalty goal by Matt Giteau. Emirates Western Force 13-9
51st minute: Richard Brown try, successful conversion by Matt Giteau. Emirates Western Force 20-9
54th minute: Tamaiti Horua replaces Richard Brown (injured – shoulder)
59th minute: Missed penalty goal by Mark Gerrard. Emirates Western Force 20-9
59th minute: Luke Holmes replaces Tai McIsaac
65th minute: Penalty try to Brumbies, successful conversion by Stirling Mortlock. Emirates Western Force 20-16
66th minute: Kieran Longbottom replaces Pek Cowan
69th minute: Cameron Shepherd try, missed conversion by Matt Giteau. Emirates Western Force 25-16
78th minute: Chris O’Young replaces Josh Valentine. Richard Stanford replaces Tom Hockings