Semi Final 1 Fijian Drua W v Western Force W

[shasta]

How to overcomplicate your lineout so nobody knows what's going on. Except the opposition.

[GIGS20]

At least we're making them work for it.

Looks like we're in with a shot, but it'll require us playing a perfect 40

[WFDom]

Big 2nd half needed! Go girls!!!

[The InnFORCEr]

Penalty to Force.

14 - 10 Force

[The InnFORCEr]

Run away Fiji try from Force holding on in breakdown.

Another missed conversion.

14 - 15 Fiji

[The InnFORCEr]

66 minutes gone.

Fiji penalty.

14 - 18 Fiji

[The InnFORCEr]

Fiji's attack has been fantastic and our defense has matched it.

Cracking finish coming up.

[The InnFORCEr]

Not the result they were after but a fantastic effort and a record-breaking season making the semi for the first time, well done ladies

Fiji score in 79th minute from their own 22.

Final score 25 - 14 to Fiji.

[Garry Owen]

Not the result they were after but a fantastic effort and a record-breaking season making the semi for the first time, well done ladies

Fiji score in 79th minute from their own 22.

Final score 25 - 14 to Fiji.

Unlucky girls great effort, lineout was a killer at the end. Would have beaten them at home but not meant to be

[Tazzmania]

Ladies played well and gave it their all.

Fiji just had far too much speed to burn for us, and that was the point of difference in the end.

Great season for the W team, well done to all concerned.

They have been a pleasure to watch this year and I look forward to seeing them again in 2025.

[Burgs]

Was watching on a bit of a delay so have stayed offline to avoid the usual spoilers I end up stumbling over in the most obscure ways...

Tough grind for the girls but they had a fair crack at it.
Unfortunate the Ref took until the final minutes to issue the team warning, really should have picked up their time wasting from around the 60.

Fiji get spoken about as if they are the 7's (ie all flair and unstructured), but they are actually a pretty well balanced XV, pace outside and some woman mountains in tight.
The Force got blown off a couple of crucial tackles through the middle and were well short of the pace out wide.

It's a match we could have won, but on balance it was the ill-disciplined but ultimately better side who won, the 7 on the final whistle skewing how history will see it.
While the big game experience of Cline would have been good, I don't think we lost anything with Malcolm Heke, she was amongst our best and Suzuki was pretty impressive (though perhaps lacking some size) too.

A couple of uncharacteristic handling errors and a couple of 50-50 calls in the breakdown, factor them in and I think it's a different result.
I also wonder what might have been if had gone straight to a scrum on the Yellow, dropping a Backrow for 10, while the Drua were looking a bit rattled. Instead, took the 3, gave back 3 and let them get their confidence back.

As for the season...
Certainly will be left to rue letting that final try in last week to miss the bonus point and Home fixture, the Head to Head rule sucks balls.
The McGehan injury was definitely a big impact, though perhaps unveiled some depth, likewise Wigley's injury.
The success, plus professional structures, should see some good recruiting for 2025.
I would also expect an extra Force quota in the Wallaroos, can think of 6-7 depending on some injury updates.

The comp is now of a standard that it deserves at least a full Home & Away season and there are calls coming out of Super Rugby Aupiki to merge.
With only 4 teams in the NZ variation and 6 H&A matches there is a strong desire to expand.
There probably isn't enough depth to run a Moana side, but the inclusion of a Highlanders would dilute the NZ teams enough to gain parity with SR Womens.

Anyway, that's for a different thread...
Congratulations on a great season to our girls, have done yourselves and WA proud!

[Burgs]

Pomare proud in defeat: 'We were in it until the 80th minute'

Fri, Apr 19, 2024, 3:05 PM
Ben Somerford

Western Force captain Trilleen Pomare was beaming with pride despite falling short in Friday’s Buildcorp Super Rugby Women’s semi-final 25-14 to the reigning champions, Fijian Drua.

The game was in the balance until the final play, with the Force having an attacking line-out at 18-14 down, only for a turnover to lead to Atelaite Buna finding space down the right to burst clear and score the game-settling try.

It ended a see-sawing battle where the Force led 14-10 early in the second half with three Samantha Wood penalties and one Siutiti Ma’ake try.

The narrow defeat came after the Force spent the week on the east coast following last Saturday’s 38-36 loss to the ACT Brumbies. The side trained at the AIS in Canberra before travelling to Fiji on Wednesday with two buses and a flight on a big travel day. (According to commentary, half flew Wednesday, half Thursday)

“Proud of our girls,” Pomare said post-game. “We had our moments out there.

“I’m not going to blame the travel. We were in it until the 80th.

“We had our opportunities, we didn’t convert. But congrats to the Drua they always show up.

“I think we had our opportunities. We knew infringements were going to come.

“We just didn’t capitalise. Still proud of our girls. Proud of our city back home. I know you’re supporting us.”

There were four lead changes throughout the pulsating contest in front of a sold-out crowd at Suva’s HFC Bank Stadium.

“It’s crazy, hey,” Pomare said about the crowd.

“We know the Fijians show up for their rugby. Congrats to the Drua.

“We can’t take that away from them. They played an 80-minute performance, we lapsed in moments and they capitalised.”

The result ends the Force’s Super W season with the side to travel back to Perth on Saturday.

The Drua will face either the NSW Waratahs or ACT Brumbies in the Super W Grand Final on Sunday 28 April at Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane.