The Western Force faced a tough defeat against the ACT Brumbies, who surged in the second half to secure a 45-12 victory at Marist College in Canberra on Friday afternoon.
The match was evenly poised at 12-12 by halftime, but the Brumbies unleashed a powerful second-half performance, scoring five tries to clinch a commanding win.
For the Force, new recruit Divad Palu and hooker Tom Horton crossed the line, giving the visitors a 12-7 lead in the first half. However, the Brumbies’ relentless attack proved too much to handle.
In the sweltering 30-degree heat with a 2pm kickoff, the Force started with strong attacking play. Palu opened the scoring after a clever offload from Harry Potter. The Brumbies responded with a try from Lachlan Lonergan, but Horton pushed the Force ahead again with a maul try just before halftime, capitalizing on a series of scrum penalties.
The Brumbies leveled the score at the break with a swift move finished by speedster Corey Toole. In the second half, Luke Reimer scored under the posts in the 52nd minute, setting the stage for a Brumbies onslaught. They added four more tries after the 60th-minute drinks break, including two late tries from Kadin Pritchard.
This match marked the Force’s final pre-season trial before their Super Rugby Pacific Round 1 game against Moana Pasifika on Saturday, February 15, at HBF Park. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
ACT Brumbies 45
– Tries: L. Lonergan (14Õ), Toole (39Õ), Reimer (52Õ), Pollard (63Õ), Pritchard 2 (72Õ, 79Õ), Anderson (80Õ)
– Conversions: Lolesio 1/2, Meredith 4/6
Western Force 12
– Tries: Palu (10Õ), Horton (35Õ)
– Conversions: Donaldson 1/2
Read more: https://westernforce.rugby/news/brumbies-force-trial-match-report-202527
