The Brumbies started out favourites for this round 11 clash – they are the early super fifteen pace setters and have the added pressure of needing to win to go ahead of the Reds on the ladder. The Force, although placed towards the bottom of the table have proven a solid opposition this season beating the highly fancied Crusaders at home and the Reds away. The history between the two sides sees the honours shared at Canberra, 2 all.
The Match
The game started well for the Force with Hodgson pilfering off Smith, but the joy was short lived with Mogg finishing some good play from the Brumbies with a try.
The Force lineout struggled with two of their first few being called not straight. The second resulting in a Speight try after great build up play from Kuridrani. This nudged the score to 12-0 after 17min and a penalty by Lealiifano pushed it to 15-0 with 21min gone.
Sam Wykes forced a turnover from the restart, positioning himself well in a Brumbies maul. The resultant scrum, however, gave Toomua a chance to assert himself defensively on Sam Norton Knight, forcing a bad pass and sending Kuridrani and Speight downfield. With territory secured the Brumbies converted a close range scrum with Kuridrani slamming it down out wide in a great example of first phase rugby. The score was now 22-0 with a great conversion by Lealiifano from one metre inside the right touch line.
The westerners came close via Dellit, but Toomua was everywhere, being penalised, taking called-back intercepts and tackling like a madman.
The Brumbies manage to win the kicking battle and after some great build up play scored one of the dodgiest tries you’ll see allowed by the TV referee. Both the pass (from Smith) and the grounding (by Speight) were asked to be checked, both were 50% at best. After a quick look it was considered a try though and the Brumbies went into the halftime sheds with a 4 try bonus point and a 27-0 lead. It also put Speight equal top try scorer in the Super 15, albeit controversially.
The Force started the second half with great focus and intensity. Things started to resemble the Brumbies’ last match, being camped in defence giving away penalties. By the 43rd minute Moore was yellow carded for repeated infringements, giving the home side a further dose of de ja vous.
The Force couldn’t make it through the Brumbies defence and after yet another not straight lineout from the Force the Brumbies scored via a sublime off load from Toomua to an equally superb finisher in Tomane. Another sideline conversion from Lealiifano saw the Brums up 36-0, still a man down.
With 54m gone, Moore returned with McCabe and Prior with Coleman following 5min later. It seemed that Jake White felt relaxed enough to put the whole bench on in a stroke. The game began to open up and the Brumbies attacked ferociously, to be rewarded by a try to Siliva-Siliva (1st S15 try) after a great off load by McCabe 41-0 the score as Lealiifano hit the post from wide.
The Force had to toil hard but perhaps had the best of the last 10 minutes and were rewarded with a try to Matt Hodgson, peeling of a rolling maul in the 74th minute. It was just rewards for a team that could have taken shots at goal plenty of times but were quickly too far behind for it to be a positive move. Jayden Hayward converts and the score was 41-7.
The game soon fizzled out with both teams trying to find continuity after the buzzer, Prior ultimately ending things with a hoof over the sideline.
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The Game Changer
Toomua’s offload to Tomane. There were plenty of positives for the home team in the first half but with one of the first chances in the second, a man down, Toomua made something from nothing and Tomane finished effortlessly to break the Force’s spirit.
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The G&GR MOTM
Matt Toomua. Set up a try, and mercilessly punished Sam Norton Knight on defence. Had some great runs too while calmly directing the team around from 10..
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Wallaby watch
The entire back line of the brumbies looked dangerous. Toomua put his hand up highest but Kuridrani, Speight, Mogg, Tomane and Lealiifano all looked deadly with the ball in hand and in defence.
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The Details
Crowd: 12,517
Score & Scorers
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Home Team: Brumbies
Tries:
Mogg
Speight2
Kuridrani
Tomane
Siliva-Siliva
Conversions
Lealiifano 4/6
Penalties
Lealiifano 1/1
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Away Team: Western Force
Tries:
Hodgson
Conversions
Hayward 1/1
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Photos c/o Tim Anger Photography
