Western Force vs NSW Waratahs - Round 13 - May 9 2015

[The InnFORCEr]

WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE
Saturday, 9 May 2015

FORCE CLAIMS BACK-TO-BACK TAHS WINS IN 2015

The Western Force has recorded its third successive win over reigning champions, the NSW Waratahs, following tonight’s 18-11 victory at the ‘Force Field’ (nib Stadium).

After claiming the opening round encounter in Sydney, the Force scored two tries to one tonight in Perth, to convert a 13-6 half-time lead into the seven-point victory.

The Waratahs got within two points with 23 minutes remaining, before a storming Force rolling maul from a lineout 20 metres out, allowed captain Matt Hodgson to score his third try in as many matches and round out the final 18-11 score line.

Scrumhalf Ryan Louwrens also crossed for his second try in as many matches, after exploiting a gap in the Tahs defensive line in the first half.

Loping lock Steve Mafi was again highly involved in carrying the ball forward and forcing turnovers in a performance recognised with the Haigh & Hastings Man of the Match, while Ben McCalman also continued his outstanding season.

The Force has the week off for the bye before returning to the ‘Force Field’ (nib Stadium) to front the Highlanders on Saturday, 23 May.

Tickets to Western Force’s next home match against the Highlanders on Saturday, 23 May are now available! Visit www.ticketmaster.com.au.


WHAT THEY SAID… Michael Foley, Western Force Head Coach
“It was fantastic. It’s been a long time coming and the boys deserved it.

“The attitude in that game was what made these guys the best team in the club’s history [last season]. There have been a number of narrow losses or ounces of the ball or calls that have gone against us this year. There’s been one or two times where that [attitude] has been missing and that’s the most disappointing thing out of the year – not the results. Tonight they played through the 80 minutes with wonderful attitude.

“Our thrill is watching our players’ faces when we win and watching our fans. They’re so good to us. So many people were saying to us ‘no matter what, we’re going to be here’ and that’s incredibly motivating. Particularly over the last period when we haven’t been getting the results, you feel very disappointed that you’ve let some of those people down – and if you don’t feel like that then you shouldn’t be doing what you’re doing. The professional and commercial side of the game is one thing but to be able to go out there and honour the support you get is fantastic. We’ve got a very tough, rusted on group of people that just keep coming back for us and they were buzzing tonight. Our players and our fans were buzzing, and that’s fantastic.”


2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby – Week 12
Saturday, 9 May 2015 at nib Stadium, Perth Kick-off: 5.40pm Crowd: 10,115

Western Force 18 (Ryan Louwrens, Matt Hodgson tries; Luke Burton conversion, 2 penalties) defeated NSW Waratahs 11 (Taqele Naiyaravoro try; Bernard Foley 2 penalties)

Half time: Force 13-6
Yellow Cards: Sekope Kepu (33 min), Matt Hodgson (70 min)
Red Cards: Nil
Referee: Rohan Hoffmann


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. Solomoni Jnr Rasolea, 13. Kyle Godwin, 14. Marcel Brache, 15. Luke Morahan.

Res: 16. Heath Tessmann, 17. Chris Heiberg, 18. Guy Millar, 19. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 20. Kane Koteka, 21. Alby Mathewson, 22. Luke Burton, 23. Mitchell Scott

Head Coach: Michael Foley

Waratahs
1. Benn Robinson, 2. Tolu Latu, 3. Sekope Kepu, 4. Will Skelton, 5. David Dennis (c), 6. Jacques Potgieter, 7. Michael Hooper, 8. Wycliff Palu, 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Bernard Foley, 11. Rob Horne, 12. Kurtley Beale, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14. Taqele Naiyaravoro, 15. Israel Folau.

Res: 16. Hugh Roach, 17. Jeremy Tilse, 18. Paddy Ryan, 19. Mitchell Chapman, 20. Tala Gray, 21. Pat McCutcheon, 22. Brendan McKibbin, 23. Matt Carraro.

Head Coach: Michael Cheika


BY THE CLOCK
Min Score
12 Luke Morahan forces the penalty for Jacques Potgieter not releasing the ball. Marcel Brache misses the penalty. 0-0
15 Tolu Latu knocks the ball on with Sekope Kepu penalised for playing the ball in an offside position. Luke Burton misses the penalty. 0-0
20 Steve Mafi forces the turnover. One phase later Ryan Louwrens finds a gap and scoots through from the 22m to score. Burton converts. 7-0
24 Matt Hodgson is penalised for being offside. Bernard Foley kicks the penalty. 7-3
28 Tetera Faulkner is penalised for collapsing the scrum. Bernard Foley kicks the penalty from 40 metres out directly in front. 7-6
30 Ben McCalman forces a turnover to put the Force on the attack inside the Tahs’ 22m, before Will Skelton and Benn Robinson are caught offside. Luke Burton kicks penalty. 10-6

33
Sekope Kepu receives a yellow card for stomping. 10-6
39 Paddy Ryan penalised for collapsing the scrum. Burton kicks the penalty with 20 seconds remaining in the half. 13-6
40 Ben McCalman is penalised for playing the ball off his feet. Kurtley Beale misses the penalty from just beyond halfway. 13-6
HALF TIME 13-6
41 Matt Hodgson is penalised for being offside at the ruck. Foley misses the penalty. 13-6
47 Robinson is penalised for coming in from the side of the ruck. Burton misses the penalty. 13-6
53 Taqele Naiyaravoro breaks three tackles running down the right-hand wing to score in the corner. Foley misses the conversion. 13-11
57 The Waratahs are caught offside from a knock-on. Sias Ebersohn misses the penalty from beyond the halfway line. 13-11
63 Kepu is penalised for coming in from the side of the ruck. McCalman wins the subsequent lineout from 20 metres out before the Force thunders home a rolling maul for Matt Hodgson to fall over the line to score. Burton misses the conversion. 18-11
70 Matt Hodgson receives a yellow card for not releasing as the tackler. 18-11
77 The Waratahs are penalised at the breakdown. Sias Ebersohn misses the penalty. 18-11
FULL TIME 18-11

[Alison]

And that attitude is brought out by the captain - even Cheika can see how inspirational Hodgo is. Really hope he can find room for him in the RWC squad.

[hertryk]

fantastic post match speech from Hogo.

What a gentleman!

COULDN'T HEAR IT FOR THE CROWD..HAVEN'T HAD CHANCE TO SEE RE-PLAY YET..
Post match I did respectfully suggest to Sias and Luke to practice their kicking !!! I am sure it did a load of good.. BUt joking aside we need a reliable kicker sooooobad.. we could have buried the Tahs if our kicks had been on course

[WFDom]

fantastic post match speech from Hogo.

What a gentleman!

What did he say Marty?

[The InnFORCEr]

NSW Waratahs at war with themselves to keep title defence alive

Date May 10, 2015 - 8:17PM
Georgina Robinson
Chief Rugby Reporter


Everyone gets up for the champions. Was Saturday's 18-11 loss to the apparently luckless Force the game in which that truism of sport finally sunk in for the Waratahs?

The defending champions do the talking well, and have waxed lyrical this season on the perils of life on the other side of a Super Rugby title. Everyone gets up for the champions. Even the lowest-ranked team in the competition.

So what are the champions going to do about it? As their coach, Michael Cheika said: "Words are cheap".

It's the doing the Waratahs are struggling with, and which has plunged them into the fight of their lives to keep the dream alive little more than a month out from the end of the regular season. Injury scares for key forwards Michael Hooper and Jacques Potgieter have heightened the anxiety.

NSW can summon the "dog" for the big games – they beat competition leaders the Hurricanes in Wellington and held out the Brumbies in their grittiest display yet just the other day – but there is something about the bankers, and particularly those against defensive teams like the Force and Stormers, that can routinely get under the Waratahs' skin.

"It's a challenge, maybe there are some guys who think it's not as important," captain Dave Dennis said. "Every game's important in terms of us playing the way we want to play, whether that's the Brumbies or the team coming last, we need to perform to our standards."

Cheika wasn't in a philosophical mood after the game in Perth, but his counterpart Michael Foley was circumspect about the defending champions' fortunes.

"It's very hard to maintain your top form throughout the whole competition, particularly when teams are going at each other so hard," Foley said. "I have a view that they can play their top game and beat anybody. Their performance against the Hurricanes was a really good indicator of that. When they change gears, get a bit of momentum, they're a very, very hard team to stop. But like any team there's opportunities if you're good enough to take them, and I thought our guys deserve a lot of credit for doing that."

The Waratahs are developing a deep antipathy for nib Stadium in Perth and will be delighted to return to the familiar confines of Allianz Stadium to host the Sharks on Saturday.

The Crusaders follow, at ANZ Stadium, before the defending champions head to South Africa to face the Lions and Cheetahs. Then come freshly anointed cellar-dwellers the Reds, who will have had a month under the guidance of new coaching "mentor" John Connolly.

Travel aside, it is not the worst line-up of games, rankings-wise. Unless you're a team who are struggling to master your own mind.

"We have to [bounce back]. It's getting to the stage that we need to find that level we know we're capable of, and being more consistent," Dennis said. "You leave it any longer and before you know it the season's over and you haven't achieved what we want to achieve. We need a really honest week this week around our preparation, where we're at and where we need to perform against the Sharks."

It was the Sharks who delivered the Waratahs their wake-up call in Durban last season, showing up some immaturity in the visitors' option-taking and proving yet again how powerful attitude can be if your opponents leave theirs behind.

The 11th-ranked team have battled to transition out from under the domineering leadership of Jake White, now based in France, but went within a few points of upsetting the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday. They will arrive in Sydney with added motivation – they are playing the champions. But are the Waratahs playing often enough to that standard?

"To credit the Waratahs they've been the pacesetters, they've stepped up over the last couple of years," Foley said. "The opportunity as the underdog, to get a shot at the champion, is one that you rarely get, so you make the most of it. That's just natural … and when the champions happen to be in your own pool of derby games, then everybody wants to knock them off. I'm just very thankful we did."

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/wa...10-ggy9kf.html

[kipper_mckinnon]

After we win on Saturday, that will be 3 in a row against the Tahs.
I wonder how many other teams will be able to say they have done that over the last couple of years ?

I don't want to say "I told you so"....but

[The InnFORCEr]

Beat them with 15 in Round 1 in Sydney, it's no biggy

Likewise

[valzc]

All I can say is that as the Force have the gameplan to beat the Tahs- why don't they have the gameplans for all the other teams as well? Surely we can't rely on confidence in beating just one team?

[G_Beard]

All I can say is that as the Force have the gameplan to beat the Tahs- why don't they have the gameplans for all the other teams as well? Surely we can't rely on confidence in beating just one team?

A point against the bulls and 2 non-awarded try's and a fumble over the line against the sharks.
Just 2 examples of it's there.
But that's dealing in what ifs and could've beens
Several long range try's against us from throwing everything into attack when at opposition try line.
It's not like it's not there, it just hasn't quite clicked into place on a few occasions.

[valzc]

Fair enough -I keep forgetting about those close ones we should've won. How different all the rubbishing of the Force could have been if we had clinched those games.

[shasta]

Fair enough -I keep forgetting about those close ones we should've won. How different all the rubbishing of the Force could have been if we had clinched those games.

Which just says to me that much of the whining is based on emotion rather than what is.

[Sheikh]

Round 1 - Beat the Tahs
Round 2 - played horribly and deserved to lose to the Reds
Round 3 - Hurricanes - can't say we'd have got close to them
Round 4 - deserved to lose to the Brumbies
Round 5 - battered the Rebels line for ages, but a lack of imagination meant we only got a bonus point
Round 6 - two yellow cards, two missed penalties and a missed drop goal and we only lost to the Bulls by a point
Round 7 - fumbled try, which if it had been converted would have given us a win against the Sharks
Round 8 - bye
Round 9 - we didn't play great against the Cheetahs, but could have easily got a bonus point (lost by 9 with 5 points in missed kicks, and arguably the Cheetahs wouldn't have scored their second try had we not been pushing for a score of our own)
Round 10 - beaten by a penalty try awarded ~10m out!
Round 11 - we were behind when Prior got red carded, and maybe we only got close because the Chiefs stopped playing.
Round 12 - another late rally against the Blues - did they stop playing, too?
Round 13 - beat the Tahs

There's 3 or 4 games we could have come away as winners from, and probably last year would have done, which would have put us mid-table. With the Highlanders, Reds & Brumbies at home and the Rebels away, we could get another 2-3 wins. I think 10th is beyond us now, but we might be able to reel in the Blues, Sharks and Cheetahs.

[G_Beard]

Fair enough -I keep forgetting about those close ones we should've won. How different all the rubbishing of the Force could have been if we had clinched those games.

Why does there have to be rubbishing, and what types are doing the rubbishing?

[valzc]

On other websites - not here. Namely Eastern States.

[valzc]

Round 1 - Beat the Tahs
Round 2 - played horribly and deserved to lose to the Reds
Round 3 - Hurricanes - can't say we'd have got close to them
Round 4 - deserved to lose to the Brumbies
Round 5 - battered the Rebels line for ages, but a lack of imagination meant we only got a bonus point
Round 6 - two yellow cards, two missed penalties and a missed drop goal and we only lost to the Bulls by a point
Round 7 - fumbled try, which if it had been converted would have given us a win against the Sharks
Round 8 - bye
Round 9 - we didn't play great against the Cheetahs, but could have easily got a bonus point (lost by 9 with 5 points in missed kicks, and arguably the Cheetahs wouldn't have scored their second try had we not been pushing for a score of our own)
Round 10 - beaten by a penalty try awarded ~10m out!
Round 11 - we were behind when Prior got red carded, and maybe we only got close because the Chiefs stopped playing.
Round 12 - another late rally against the Blues - did they stop playing, too?
Round 13 - beat the Tahs

There's 3 or 4 games we could have come away as winners from, and probably last year would have done, which would have put us mid-table. With the Highlanders, Reds & Brumbies at home and the Rebels away, we could get another 2-3 wins. I think 10th is beyond us now, but we might be able to reel in the Blues, Sharks and Cheetahs.

And again we come back to the kicking issue. Every season it raises its ugly head and don't seem to be getting anywhere. With all the AFL coaches in Perth is there Someone who can sort out the kicking?