The Western Force rose from the dead to beat the ACT Brumbies 29-22 in an entertaining Super 14 clash on Friday.
The match had no bearing on the finals, but the Force’s seventh win ensured they finished as the second-best Australian side this season, behind the Waratahs.
It was a disappointing end to Laurie Fisher’s coaching stint with the Brumbies, but his side had looked set to send him off on a high when they stormed out to a 22-0 lead early in the match against a shell-shocked Force.
However, the home side stemmed the onslaught and then scored the last four tries of the game against the tiring Brumbies in a remarkable turnaround.
The visitors were still in control when they led 22-7 at the break, but the Force scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to notch their first win over the Brumbies.
Force captain Nathan Sharpe was pleased to end the season on a high. ”Twenty minutes of the ugliest rugby we have played and then 60 minutes of intensity,” he said.
”It was 22-zip and to put 29 points on the Brumbies is no mean feat. This team can attack when it wants to. It is credit to the boys to come out after half-time and switch it around like that.”
Brumbies captain Stirling Mortlock was at a loss to explain the way his side fell away.
”A tale of two halves, you can’t explain it,” he said. ”The first 30 minutes were the best we have executed this season.”
There were few indications of what was to come when the Brumbies stunned the home crowd by running in two easy tries in the first six minutes of the match.
Francis Fainifo went into the match without a Super rugby try, but was on the end of a Christian Lealiifano chip kick in the second minute and broke a weak tackle to open the scoring easily, before Mark Gerrard strolled over in the corner as the Brumbies grabbed a 12-0 lead in the sixth minute.
Fainifo dived over for his second try in the 19th minute, after being on the end of Stirling Mortlock’s perfectly timed pass.
They secured a bonus point in just the 26th minute, with Adam Ashley-Cooper crossing in the corner for their fourth try.
Only Mortlock’s wayward boot spared the Force more blushes as the Wallaby was successful with just one of his first four conversion attempts.
Exciting Force teenager James O’Connor finally gave his team something to cheer about when he scored his first Super rugby try in the 33rd minute.
The Force were a completely different side after the break, running in three tries in 13 minutes to grab the lead.
Josh Tatupu lifted their hopes in the 46th minute with a diving try in the corner, before Matt Giteau closed the gap when he charged through a big hole in the defence three minutes later.
When sloppy ball handling by Gerrard handed the Force possession just a few feet from the try line, Chris O’Young burrowed over in the 59th minute as the Force snatched a 26-22 lead, before Giteau sealed the win with a penalty. — AFP
