In a pulsating start to the Super Rugby Pacific season, the Western Force showcased their trademark resilience, clinching a 45-44 victory over Moana Pasifika at HBF Park. Head Coach Simon Cron attributed the win to the team’s deep-seated “unwavering grit,” a hallmark of the Force’s legacy.
The match reached its climax when fly-half Ben Donaldson, despite sustaining an ankle injury early in the second half, orchestrated a remarkable 26-phase, 70-meter drive. Donaldson’s 50-meter sprint through the defense culminated in a try after the final siren, and his flawless kicking added 15 points to the scoreboard.
Reflecting on the performance, Cron emphasized the importance of learning from the club’s storied past:
“We’ve talked about previous teams in Western Force history having a lot of unwavering grit and fighting to the 83rd minute. I think these boys did that.”
Looking ahead, Cron acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in defense and maintaining possession:
“It’s important to learn how to win late… But we can’t leak that many points.”
Captain Jeremy Williams echoed Cron’s sentiments, highlighting the need for disciplined exits and capitalizing on opportunities:
“We were trying to focus on clean exit and we couldn’t do that at stages… We spent the majority of that second half down in our own end.”
The Force now set their sights on their upcoming clash against the Brumbies in Canberra, aiming to build on their hard-fought victory and address the identified challenges.
Read more: https://westernforce.rugby/news/force-cron-williams-reaction-moana-2025215
